By Francis Sadhere
Members of the Centre for The Vulnerable and the Underprivileged (CENTREP) have condemned the spate of political thuggery in the Nigerian polity ahead of the February elections, saying the development is a danger to democracy.
In a press statement made available to National Reformer and signed by Barrister Oghenejabor Ikimi, Executive Director, CENTREP, the group appealed to all politicians and their supporters alike to eschew violence and embrace peace by respecting the Abuja peace accord signed by the 14 presidential candidates and by been politically tolerant of one another.
The statement read: “The attention of members of the centre for the vulnerable and the underprivileged (CENTREP) have been drawn to the spate of political thuggery in the Nigerian polity ahead of the forthcoming general elections and we condemn same to say the least as the above development is a potential danger to our fledgling democracy, and must be discouraged.
“We are not oblivious of the fact that within the space of three weeks, the office of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Rivers State and that of her governorship candidate in Bauchi State were blown with dynamites or razed down with fire by unknown political thugs. Furthermore, President Goodluck Jonathan and his campaign team were stoned both in Katsina State and in Bauchi State recently by hoodlums while his bill boards and posters were destroyed in the process by suspected thugs.
“As if the above was not enough, party stalwarts of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Rivers State on a campaign tour of the State were recently attacked in Okrika by suspected political thugs. The above developments and many more unreported similar ugly incidents ahead of the general elections are indeed sad as the above acts are a threat to our democracy and we appeal to politicians and their supporters alike to eschew violence and embrace peace by respecting the Abuja peace accord signed by the 14 presidential candidates and by been politically tolerant of one another.
“After all the contest is not a do or die exercise. We are also not unaware of threats by the founder of the defunct Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, Alhaji Asari- Dokubo and that of the Ijaw Youth Congress Worldwide and others who have openly vowed to retaliate the recent attacks on President Goodluck Jonathan and his campaign team in both Katsina and Bauchi States respectively and we call for total restraint in the interest of National peace, unity and our fledgling democracy as the agenda set by the Abuja peace accord for the forthcoming general elections is that of ” Say no to violence and vote for the candidate of your choice.”
