Post-election protest uncalled for – Atiku

Posted by admin Elections 2011 Monday, April 18th, 2011

ABUJA — FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar said yesterday that the post election protests in some parts of the country were uncalled for, just as he stressed that any form of political violence that involves attacks on public institutions, including places of worship, was dangerous to the stability, unity and peaceful co-existence of Nigeria.

In a statement signed yesterday in Abuja, Atiku, who condemned the incidents, noted that what the nation was presently experiencing as protests were not healthy for the sustenance of the nation’s democracy.

The former Presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who warned that the unity of Nigeria was non-negotiable, however urged political leaders to call their supporters to order and refrain from killings and destruction of property, adding that resorting to violence such as the burning down of houses and setting prisoners free was not acceptable in any democracy where people have the freedom of choice.

According to him, political leaders whose supporters are involved in violence must as a matter of urgency dissociate themselves from these criminal conduct, which threatens the unity, stability and public peace of the nation, even as he charged security services to act swiftly and get on top of the unfolding situation.

Atiku noted that with existing legal avenues to handle post_election complaints, there was no reason whatsoever for anyone to take to violence under any guise, adding, “our peaceful co_existence as a people is not negotiable and anything that may infringe on the promotion of our collective good, unity and stability must not only be frowned on but avoided at all cost.”

Makinde condemns riots, calls for calm

LAGOS — PRELATE of Methodist Church Nigeria, His Eminence Sunday Ola Makinde has condemned in strong terms the crisis that has engulfed most parts of Northern Nigeria since yesterday following the announcement of the 2011 presidential election results which favoured the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking in Lagos, yesterday, the cleric urged aggrieved parties to sheathe their swords and seek constitutional means for redress whatever they might be aggrieved about.

Makinde said: “The news filtering in since the conclusion of the presidential elections especially in the North is disheartening and shocking. After the nation has witnessed a peaceful election which is a replica of what we all saw two Saturdays ago, this degree of violence in protest of whatever grievances is highly uncalled for and must be repudiated by all well-meaning Nigerians.

“We have worked so hard to move this nation beyond and this manner of barbaric and insensitive actions only portend danger for our democracy and unity and if not stopped has potentials to set us back as a country. There is need for this madness to stop immediately and I urge our security agencies to do everything to nip the crisis in the bud before it further escalates,” he stated.

Makinde said as a nation, we are grappling with too much of violence and this latest one is not welcomed at all, adding “already, our security agencies are battling with acts of home grown terrorism such as bombings and explosions at campaign centres.”

“This latest crisis is one_too_many and does not help our collective desire for genuine change and oneness. I implore political, religious and traditional leaders to as a matter of urgency condemn these violent protests and call on the Federal, State and Local Governments of the affected places to work hand_in_hand to quell the protests and bring the sponsors and perpetrators to book.”

He then called on Christians and the generality of Nigerians to continue to pray, pointing out that the fact that elections were coming at this time when Christians all over the world are fasting is not a mere coincidence.

Makinde said the relative peace enjoyed so far is as a result of their prayers and this is not the time to relent, rather, it is time to intensify the prayers and call on God to intervene in any crisis capable of threatening the oneness of Nigeria and destroying our unity as a people. Enough is enough.

-Vanguardwp_posts