Stakeholders canvassing violent-free general elections scheduled for next month have asked the major participants in the contest to tow the path of peace, Fisayo Falodi writes

In what may be described as the climax of the preparation for the February 14 presidential elections, the two major candidates in the contest have pushed their ambition to rule Nigeria further as they embarked on campaigns to seek voters’ support.

While the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, inaugurated his campaign organisation in Abuja, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, inaugurated his own in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

The two presidential candidates, who had initially regaled Nigerians with promises of what they should expect from them, were in high spirits when they inaugurated the campaign organisations.

With the inauguration of the campaign organisations, the two presidential contestants have been touring all the nooks and crannies of the country to seek the people’s support. Ironically, the two gladiators contested the 2011 presidential election won by Jonathan.

But as they are moving their campaign trains from one part of the country to another seeking the people’s support, many stakeholders who have been watching the socio-political events in the country, have asked the PDP and the APC presidential candidates to base their campaigns on issues that would promote the country’s development and unity, rather than on those that would create enmity among the citizens.

Stressing that Nigerians have the right to elect their leaders in an atmosphere of peace, they condemned the recent destruction of property in Plateau and Rivers states by some political thugs and asked the presidential candidates to warn their supporters against recurrence of the incidents.

They asked the candidates to always put the greater interest of Nigeria before theirs, especially as majority of the citizens are yearning for rancour-free elections.

According to them, Nigeria cannot afford the repeat of the 2011 post-election violence in which many people, including promising members of the National Youth Service Corps were killed by hoodlums for the sin they did not commit.

Stressing that parents of the victims of the 2011-post election violence have yet to recover from the trauma they suffered, the stakeholders also called on all those involved in the election process, including the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies, to discharge their responsibilities objectively.

The Secretary General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Dr. Joe Nwogu, asked the two presidential candidates to concentrate on issues that would enhance the development of Nigeria.

He particularly asked them to promise Nigerians that they would implement the recommendations of the report of the last National conference, if they were elected, as one of the steps that would put the country on the path of progress.

Like its Ohanaeze Ndigbo counterpart, the Arewa Consultative Forum canvassed efforts that would ensure the stability of the country.

ACF particularly called on all politicians in the country to stop using violence to achieve their dreams.

The ACF spokesperson, Muhammad Ibrahim, said the forum would appreciate it if all the politicians could make the fear of God their watchword while pursuing their ambition.

Ibrahim said, “As we embark on the journey to the February general elections, ACF would love to see the politicians conducting their campaigns in manners that are devoid of threat, violence and destruction of property.

“ACF would want the politicians to concentrate on issues that promote national security, economic development and peaceful co-existence and most importantly, the fear of God.

“The issue of insecurity that has been bedevilling the country is enough concern to all lovers of peace in Nigeria. So, the politicians should therefore avoid, as much as possible, any incident that may involve killing of innocent people and destruction of private and public property.”

While stressing the need for INEC to play its role in a manner devoid of suspect, the ACF spokesperson said, “As its name suggests, INEC should provide all necessary materials required for the smooth conduct of the election and ensure that the materials get to polling units on time.”

He also asked the electoral body to make the registration of voters an ongoing exercise so as enable all eligible persons get their permanent voter cards to participate in the election.

The Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association in Lagos State, Dr. Tope Ojo, added his voice to the call on the presidential aspirants to make their campaign peaceful.

Aside demanding for probity from the gladiators, Ojo expects them to provide solution to the problem of bad governance that has been bedevilling the Nigerian political climate since the country’s independence.

According to the NMA chairman, the two contestants should emulate the virtues of past African leaders, such as the late Obafemi Awolowo, the Ahmadu Bello, the late Kwame Nkruma, and the late Julius Nyerere, who all provided examples of how good governance should be.

Reeling out qualities of good leaders, Ojo said, “We are saying that a good leader will not be corrupt; he will not encourage corruption and mismanagement. He will also guard against looting of public fund. A good leader must have vision for the people and must also believe in the same people by always prioritising their welfare. These are some of the qualities that we have been expecting from Nigeria’s leaders.

“They should also consider it necessary to provide the kind of facilities they enjoy when they travel abroad for the benefit of the people back home.”

The NMA boss, who expressed concern that majority of Nigerians are daily going to bed on empty stomach, asked Jonathan and Buhari to create a platform that would tackle insecurity that has been ravaging Nigeria for the past six years.

Ojo also asked them to fix the near collapsed electricity supply and poor health care delivery system which he identified as critical to the development of the country.

“Nigerians deserve basic continuous provision of uninterrupted power supply, affordable and accessible health care delivery system in terms of facility, the equipment and personnel,” he said.

Recalling that the first civilian governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, provided good governance for the people of the state between 1979 and 1983, the NMA chairman said, “Jakande provided a basic example of good governance for the people. He built several housing units in Lagos State for low income earners. It is a feat which no other leader in Nigeria has achieved.

“So, those aspiring to lead Nigeria should therefore wake up and return the country to the path of greatness because the citizens have been dehumanised over the years by bad leadership.

“They should give Nigerians hope; they should provide a platform that will promote security across the country. Though terrorism is difficult to counter, the two contestants should demonstrate the political will to tackle the insecurity confronting the country.”

Also, Nigerian students believe that the citizens and the international community would hail the presidential candidates if they could support INEC to make the election process transparent.

In an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the President, National Association of Nigerian Students, Mr. Tijani Usman, called on all participants in the election process to shun activities that may provoke violence before, during and after the poll.

Usman said, “If an election is free, fair and transparent and seen to be so by all, it will be easy for all concerned to accept the outcome, and there will be no violence. Violence only occurs when there is a realisation that the process has been skewed against some and in favour of others.

“I will also restate our stand that with the little time left for the general elections to hold, a meeting of the leadership of the two major political parties in the contest will douse the tension that is building up among Nigerians ahead of the elections as well as send a powerful message to the international community that they are preparing for violent-free poll.”

The Afenifere Renewal Group said it would be shameful if violence should trail the next elections like it happened in 2011. The group, which asked Nigerians, particularly politicians to resist temptation to plunge the country into carnage, pushed for issues that would promote national cohesion.

The ARG spokesperson, Mr. Kunle Famoriyo, asked the actors to dwell on issues that raise the hope of Nigerians for a better country, not activities that would remind them of the agony and the psychological torture they went through in their bid to participate in past elections.

Stressing the need for the candidates to commit themselves to efforts that make the elections peaceful, Famoriyo said, “It is a pity that politics in still characterised by violence in Nigeria. I would want to urge the campaigners or candidates to focus on issues, if they love the country, not making references to things that do not matter or that will not put bread and butter on the tables of the people.

“In advanced countries, campaigns are issue-based, unlike pettiness that characterises activities of politicians in Nigeria. President Jonathan and Buhari should up their game by telling Nigerians their manifestoes, instead of engaging in character assassination, which is also a potential threat to public peace.”

Famoriyo equally asked the police to resist attempts to be used by anyone as instruments of oppression.

He said, “The police in Nigeria are more of a political organisation than a security agency. When a security organisation will be speaking as if it is a member of a political party, then we are trouble.

“So, we would rather advise the police to follow the dictate of their duty rather than being partisan.”