ABUJA--
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, traded words with the All Progressives
Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, Major-General Muhammadu (rtd) over the
burning of his campaign vehicles in Jos, Plateau State.
President
Jonathan, who is running on the banner of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) urged Buhari to call his supporters to order on the grounds that
suspected APC supporters burnt two of his campaign buses, saying that the
action was a sign of desperation on the part of the opposition party.
However,
the Buhari Campaign Organisation has distanced itself from the allegation,
saying that the incident in Jos was passed as a PDP on PDP violence arising
from the party's rigged primaries.
In
a statement, yesterday, in Abuja, Director of Media and Publicity of PDP
Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, warned General
Buhari and the APC not to prepare the ground for the re-enactment of the
post-election violence of 2011.
Don't
prepare grounds for post-election violence -- PDP
The
statement read: "It is on record that General Buhari's utterances since
2011 have fuelled violence especially the post-election violence in parts of
the North which claimed the lives of many youth corps members who were deployed
as ad-hoc staff for that year's election.
"It
is sad that up till now, General Buhari has refused to apologize to the
Nigerian people for that barbaric and shameful incident or show any remorse for
the actions of his supporters. He could not even bring himself to tender an
apology to the families of those young corps members that were hacked to death
and murdered in cold blood by his agents.
"As
if that was not enough tragedy unleashed on the polity, General Buhari recently
said that the 'baboon and the dog would be soaked in blood if what happened in
2011 repeats itself in 2015.
"The
Jos attack on the campaign buses of President Goodluck Jonathan would appear to
be a pointer to what the opposition APC presidential candidate is planning
before and after the February 14 presidential election.
"We,
therefore, call on well-meaning Nigerians and members of the international
community to speak forcefully against this development, which threatens our
elections and democracy and which falls way below the standard of best international
practices."
Free,
fair elections
Also
in a separate statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Political
Affairs, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali, condemned the action, stressing however,
that the incident would not deter the determination of the Federal Government
to ensure free and fair elections in the country next month.
Alkali
said: "We have observed a dangerous trend of politically motivated
violence unleashed on innocent Nigerians by supporters of those who have shown
desperation to assume political power at all costs.
"While
we are not surprised by acts of desperation already shown by these people who
have no articulate agenda for nation building, we are amazed at how quickly
they are willing to manifest their evil intentions on our dear country.
"The
incident in Jos, Plateau State where our campaign vehicles were torched by
irate youth supporters of the APC, underscores the need for vigilance as we
progress towards the General Elections. This criminal behaviour, which was meant
to intimidate others and deny them their freedom of choice, stands condemned.
"The
leaders whose utterances and conduct have encouraged this kind of behaviour
must bear full responsibility for this. With the way things are going, it seems
the ultimate agenda of making Nigeria ungovernable as prophesied by these
politicians is underway.
"In
carrying out this unpatriotic behaviour, they wish to first of all discredit
the electoral process and set the stage for an orgy of violence once they fail
in the elections.
"Nigerians
are well aware of these antics and are fully prepared to protect their rights
to freedom of choice.
"We
condemn the acts of violence in Jos, Plateau State and also condemn the threats
to violence in every other part of the country. This ugly trend must stop. We
declare unequivocally that no Nigerian citizen should be prevented from
campaigning in any part of the country. We, therefore, call on the law
enforcement agencies to protect and guarantee the safety of every Nigerian
legitimately canvassing for votes all over the country.
"We
invite law enforcement agencies to note the pronouncements of desperate
politicians who are bent on fanning the embers of hate and threaten the
peaceful conduct of the 2015 elections.
"We
once more wish to reiterate the commitment of President Jonathan to a peaceful
and rancour-free electoral process. He has said times without number that his
ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian. We wish to sound a note of
warning to politicians to desist from this vicious circle of lies, rumours,
intimidation and violence."
Don't
demonize opponents--Buhari
Reacting
to the allegation, the Director, Media and Publicity of the Buhari Campaign
Organisation, Mallam Garba Shehu, said in a statement that "the incident
in Jos was passed as a PDP on PDP violence flowing from their rigged primaries.
That is the earliest security report we got. Nobody should change that and use
it to demonize opponents."
He
noted that "General Buhari was the first to condemn this incident the
moment it was reported on Saturday. Check his Twitter handle. These were his
words: 'I have been informed of the burning of PDP campaign buses in Jos today.
This is unacceptable! There is no excuse for this violence.'
"I
am hoping that the police will immediately investigate, arrest and prosecute
the culprits. Our democracy cannot tolerate violence in any form. PDP should
leave us out of their Wahala."
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