Jonathan raises alarm over pre-election violence

Posted by admin Latest Politics Friday, March 11th, 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed concern over the spate of growing violence nationwide linked to the build up to the general elections next month. He said this yesterday at a dialogue towards a peaceful elections in April, tagged “Meeting of the President with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and Political Parties”, at the Banquet Hall of the State House.

Meanwhile the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), was not represented at the talks, which was at the instance of the president, though other major parties were in attendance.
Jonathan told a gathering of leaders of the political parties and representatives of the country’s electoral body INEC: “I’m very concern that violence continue to form a part of our pre-election process.”
He further expressed concern that there continue to be bomb attacks, threats emanating from individuals and reports of obstruction and intimidation of political parties in certain Nigerian states.

He said: “The essence of this meeting therefore, is for us all to put heads together and put in place a framework that will identify areas of frictions capable of heating up the polity.”
Jonathan advised the party leaders to impress it on their supporters to eschew acts that are inimical to peaceful conduct of the polls.
“We, the leaders, must endeavour to put viable machinery in place to ensure that our followers understand the need for credible elections devoid of violence, rancour and acrimony,” Jonathan said.
As at press time, the meeting was continuing, and a communique is expected to be issued at the end of the consultative talks.

-Sunwp_posts