- Says Violence Has No Place In Campaigns
- Opposition Faults President, Says He's Insincere With His Call; Describes Him As "Grand Father of Political Thuggery And Violence"
By Desmond Ukandu (Politics Editor) and Janet Bassey (Governance Correspondent)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has condemned the recent wave of violence linked to political events across the country, warning that violence has no place in campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a State House statement on Friday, the President said he had followed reports of violence accompanying political events in different parts of Nigeria, declaring that “every form of violence stands condemned.”
“Violence should never have a place in our political campaigns as we move toward the 2027 general elections,” Tinubu said. “Our campaigns should be about issues, a contestation of ideas that promote the welfare of our people and the progress of our country.”
The President committed himself to a peaceful, free and fair election and urged political leaders and supporters across party lines to conduct themselves responsibly.
As a direct response to the ongoing wave of violence and political thuggery attending the election campaign, he has ordered security agencies to act with full force
Reiterating that political differences should not be treated as enmity, he said: “Being in different political parties or pursuing different ambitions does not make us enemies. As Nigerians, we are members of the same household living in different rooms. Therefore, our politics must elevate human conditions and focus on national progress and development.”
Tinubu also restated his previous directive to security agencies to be “strict and firm” against anyone seeking to test the resolve of the government to preserve public order.
He said his administration was committed to an orderly and peaceful election, adding that all political parties and candidates should be protected and free to campaign anywhere in the country “without molestation or fear for their safety.”
The President warned that his government would not tolerate any irresponsible conduct by politicians and their supporters. “Security agencies are therefore authorised to confront thuggery and other anti-social and anti-democratic activities with full force,” he said.
The statement was signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself.
Meanwhile, the opposition have welcomed president Tinubu's weekend call for politicians, their supporters and the political parties and other stakeholders to eschew violence in the ongoing campaign and during the election exercise in 2027.
They, however, advised the president to first reign in on his ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and their members, and stop them from allegedly threatening the opposition groups with violent attacks, and desist from alleged plans to rig the 2027 general elections, insisting that such plans would be vehemently resisted by the people.
The opposition also warned that if the president fails to restrain his party from "rigging the elections or winning at all cost", there is a likelihood that the entire country will be plunged into an intractable political crisis that might completely derail the nation's current democracy.
A chieftain of the opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) who specifically requested not to be named for obvious party reasons, according to him, told Nigerian NewsLeader newspaper in an interview on Saturday morning, that his party, the NDC, is not fermenting any political violence and will not indulge in violence against any opposing party and their members, but would however resist any attempt to intimidate their members with violence.
He said: "We (opposition) are all in support of what Mr president has said. Political violence cannot serve the interest of our democracy or that of anybody or political party. But if you carefully observed what is going on currently in the campaigns, you will notice that the President's party (APC) is the chief aggressor in the ongoing violence. APC wants to retain power by all means, even when it is obvious to them that they are no longer wanted in power by the people of this country because the party has not done well in the last four years.
"Our presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, is known to be a very peaceful person, but President Tinubu and his party are pushing this country, pushing everybody to the edge of mass uprising against them. They are doing everything to force themselves on the people. The NDC as a party has no problem with the ruling party canvassing for votes among the people, but they must allow the will of the people to prevail. If they are truly and transparently voted again by the majority of the citizens of this country, we will have no choice than to accept defeat, but if they rig the election as they are planning, the NDC and the people of this country will not, and never accept it!
"As things are now, it is either we have democracy or we kiss democracy good bye for ever in 2027! We have passed the era when people rig the election and tell others to go to court. Whose court are they talking about? Tinubu or Wike's court? Therefore, we are in support of President Tinubu in his call. But he must not play the ostrich about it. Their game is no longer a new thing"!
In his own reaction to the President's call for peaceful campaign activities, another opposition chieftain of the Atiku Abubakar's African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a businessman based in Abuja, Alhaji Gidado Yahaya, simply described Tinubu's plea for a violence-free political activities as "fake"!
Yahaya told Nigerian NewsLeader newspaper on Saturday that the President should set public example. "How can jagaban (Tinubu) who is a known grand father or grand master of political thuggery and violence be preaching peace now? We in ADC see it as a decoy, a deceit! The APC is the one engaging in violence and Tinubu knows it. The APC knows that we (opposition) are aware of their plans to massively rig this coming election. Yes, they know!
"But like one of our leaders in the party, Senator Dino Melaye, has said, the matter will be settled on the streets of this country, not at the law courts anymore. Nobody will go and waste his time, resources and energy to go to court. That will not happen in ADC! We know where they (ruling party) are going, and we are prepared to meet them and match them. If they like, let them send the Army, Police and the DSS after us. We will not succumb to any orchestrated intimidation. This is our country. It belongs to all of us.
"If the President and his party, (APC) are not prepared to behave themselves in this election, only God Almighty knows what will happen. Nobody should think he can force himself on the people because he is in power. And let nobody live under the illusion that incumbents don't lose election. Where did they get that nonsense idea from? Incumbents can remain in power as long as the electorates are happy with their governance style, their policies and programmes, not when they have failed to govern well. That is where the president and his party are today. It is obvious, the majority of the people of this country don't want them again. But let the election results, without any interference, say so!"
Yahaya however advised the Nigerian media, the press in particular, to live up to their constitutional responsibility of neutrality, fairness and balanced reporting of the political campaign and election events.
He urged the media to remember that as the fourth arm of government, they played a great historical role in ensuring that the military was sent back to the barracks during the battle for the enthronement of democracy in the 80s and 90s. He also asked the media to defend democracy at lawful cost in 2027 and ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allows the will of the electorates to prevail, no matter whether the ruling party or the opposition truly wins the poll. NNL.
