2015: Mass rally for Jonathan ill-timed – ACF

Posted by admin Arewa House, Presidency Thursday, July 31st, 2014

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) yesterday kicked against the proposed Niger Delta youth rally slated for today in Abuja to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s 2015 re-election bid.

A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Muhammad Ibrahim, said the rally was ill-timed and ill-advised, considering the current security challenges facing the country, particularly the North.

However, the ACF said if the solidarity rally must hold, the authorities should ensure that such event is properly guided to avoid any likely security breaches.

The ACF said the mass movement of Nigerians from other parts of the country into Abuja at the time of the rally might cause security breaches and possibly be hijacked by hoodlums to wreak havoc including likely death and loss of property. Furthermore, such mass demonstration by some youths from certain sections of the country may portray them as insensitive to the plight of other Nigerians that have been under siege by terror attacks.

“In as much as ACF is not against any peaceful rally or solidarity march by any group of persons in support of Mr. President or any cause, however, considering the insecurity in the country and in particular, the northern region, where there have been a spate of bomb blasts and attacks on innocent Nigerians. The forum considered it as ill-timed, ill-advised and a disregard to the feelings of other Nigerians affected by the insecurity challenges.

“In view of this, ACF advises the authorities to ensure that such solidarity demonstrations are properly guided to avoid any likely security breaches. ACF equally appealed to the demonstrators to exercise caution and restrain in their utterances and actions in order not to insult the sensibilities of other Nigerians.

“ACF calls on supporters of Mr. President wherever they are, to express such love and solidarity to Mr. President in their various domains rather than mass movement to Abuja, the federal capital,” the statement said.

-Sunwp_posts