Arrest those responsible for violence, Buhari urges Police osundefender.org/?p=208995 As fear over election violence intensifies, the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has called on the law enforcement agents, including the Nigerian Police Force, to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the reported cases. The APC candidate, who had earlier distanced himself from troublemakers, reiterated his commitment to a peaceful campaign. He said Nigerians could not afford to mess up the transition process, which he described as crucial. “I again call on security agencies to promptly arrest and prosecute those found guilty of violence in any form. This is an urgent duty,” he noted in a tweet. Warning supporters of political parties against violence, the APC candidate, who is running for the office for the fourth time, said the country should not resort to violence as “we are not at war.” He also cautioned party faithful against inciting utterances. The former military head of state noted, “Elections are not war. Politics is not a battle. Violence and hate speech by supporters of any candidate are not acceptable. As I have continued to say at rallies and to the media, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that campaigns remain peaceful.” Buhari said voting remains the only effective means of registering dissatisfaction against an unpopular government. Rather than going violent, he urged his supporters to use the power of vote to reject the current administration. “The only effective way to register our rejection of the present failure in governance is to vote peacefully and protect our votes peacefully,” he insisted. Both Buhari and his key rival in the February 14 presidential poll, President Goodluck Jonathan, have insisted on a non-violent process and pledged to enforce it in their campaigns. Last week, both candidates posted audio tapes where they spoke extensively on the issue. After the eruption of violence in Jos, Plateau State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the two candidates had earlier signed a peace accord, a gesture that was hailed across social media platforms. But shortly after the agreement, pockets of violence erupted in Kastina and Bauchi states, raising fear of reprisal actions in other states. Already, some loyalists of the President in the Niger Delta have warned that they would revenge the assault on Jonathan in Bauchi. Apart from the threat from the President’s geopolitical zone, the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has also warned, “We will no longer tolerate any orchestrated attack on President Jonathan and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party anywhere in the country.” The governor, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, in a statement that was posted on Facebook, said Jonathan’s humility and silence should not be taken for granted. Fayose said, “Having signed a pact to maintain peace before, during and after the elections, it was expected that Buhari would talk to his supporters to let peace reign. “They must stop taking the gentility and civility of President Jonathan as a weakness because an attack on the President of a country is an attack on the country. The APC candidate should, therefore, talk to his supporters in the North to stop attacking the President. Otherwise, they risk reprisal attacks from Nigerians in other parts of the country.” On social media and beyond, analysts are becoming more skeptical about the peace agreement. Gab Emineh, a social media commentator, wondered if the peace accord was not a façade. He said the leading candidates should be able to call their supporters to order if they were, indeed, committed to their promise to maintain peace.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 01:35:15 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015