ABEOKUTA POLITICAL VIOLENCE: Time For Politicians And Thugs To Ponder – Luqman Soliu, The President Of Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA)
On January 31, 2019 the peaceful atmosphere which Ogun State has been enjoying since 2011 when the current administration came on board lost its serene environment to gory experience of the past when politicians’ supporters substituted their lives for those who would not remember them for good after coming to office.
Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA) received the shocking news of the destruction and maiming of people by fellow citizens who were only acting ignorantly the script never given to them by any sane politician.
The destruction of political campaign busses, offices, and cars as well as maiming of rival supporters was the height of senselessness demonstrated among political warlords and thugs in the State.
Those who organized the attacks should know they only succeeded in de-marketing their candidates and so elicit sympathy for the attacked candidates.
With that, the tension in the land has been intensified. However, we remind politicians that they can only rule on the living and not the dead. So, they should caution their supporters.
Political supporters should also note that they would eventually be at the receiving end because hardly would any politician allow his children or family lead any campaign.
Why then should the downtrodden that would be forgotten after election be allowed to set themselves against one another just for peanut not enough for a standard day meal?
RIFA call on all political bigwigs to sheath their sword of war and penchant for animosity.
We charge the government and the security agents to be alive to their responsibility of ensuring peace and should try their best to make sure perpetrators of the dastardly act are brought to book in earnest to serve as deterrent to other trouble makers.
We remind politicians and their supporters to note that no one is a monopolist of war and destruction but it will be foolish of anyone to see war and destruction as appetite.
This is because no society thrives in war and violence. Development only occurs in a peaceful society.
Therefore, the serene and accommodating environment that has endeared Ogun State to investors making them trooped in and turned the state to investment destination in the last few years should not be allowed to be truncated within few weeks to the election.
The affected party (ies) and their supporters are strongly warned not to turn Ogun State to theatre of war.
RIFA call on the traditional leaders and the security operatives to call politicians and contestants to an emergency meeting.
The meeting should resolve that any politician whose supporters disrupt societal peace would be held responsible without further notice.
Besides, they should be made to sign peace pact and whoever default should be made to face the full wrath of the law.
Enough of bloodshed in the land!!! 2019 elections should be allowed to be peaceful.
No politician deserves the blood of any Nigerian not even the man whose ankle was cut off and others that sustained varying degrees of machete cut.
Let there be peaceful 2019 elections so that prophet of doom would not laugh at you.
The gateway state should not be allowed to become gateway to political violence and destruction.
Abeokuta Political Violence
Luqman Soliu
President,
Rights and Freedom Advocates (RIFA)
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