Former Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, has warned that the current state of affairs in Nigeria towards the rescheduled general elections raises concerns that the nation may be approaching perilous times never before witnessed since the end of the civil war even as he warned all stakeholders to exercise restraints in both their words and deeds during and aftermath of the elections to save the nation.
Gowon, who led Nigeria between 1966 and 1975, gave this warning in his remarks during a briefing held at the Yakubu Gowon Centre, on Thursday in Abuja. The former leader spoke on behalf other prominent elders, such as; Mohammed Hayatu Deen, George Obiozor, Joe Irukwu, Phillip Asiodu, Christopher Kolade, Ahmed Joda and Anya O Anya.
Others include; Yayale Ahmed, Shyngle Wigwe Frank Okoisor, Akin Mabogunje and Ladi Thompson.
In the remarks entitled “The Burden of elders at the Dawn of 2019 General Elections” Gowon said “as we soak in all the attendant factors including the toxic political culture of the present hour and the predatory tonality of the ongoing election processes magnified by the fact that the country still reeling from the shock of the postponed elections, it has become imperative that we speak up as elders.
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“Our first counsel to the nation as it approaches this new frontier is that INEC must be fully prepared to conduct the rescheduled elections seamlessly and efficiently in a manner that its outcome is adjudged by all to be free, fair and credible. The political party leaders, the candidates and their followers should conduct themselves with civility, decorum and restraint in both their words and deeds in the period leading up to, during and aftermath of the elections,” he said.
The elders said that INEC can only achieve success if the contending parties regulate their behavior and conduct in accordance with democratic norms and law. “We urge all participants to accept the final results announced by INEC and where parties feel aggrieved, recourse should be made to dispute resolution mechanisms prescribed by the constitution and the Electoral Act.
The elders also admonished the in-coming president to lead the charge in articulating and implementing a long term vision which would make Nigeria a very prosperous and globally competitive economy by the year 2040.
“Mobilization of the populace is essential and this is best achieved if broad segments of the population are represented in the exercise given that the prosperity and welfare of the Nigerian people must be at the epicenter of the visioning process.
“The complexion and character of the president must be seen to transcend party, ethnic, regional or religious affiliations. As a father of all, he should take concrete steps to calm frayed nerves, heal the nation’s wounds, and give credence to our founding principles of unity in divert,” they said.
The elders blamed the current security crisis on the socio-economic malaise, which has plagued the country for a long time. They therefore called on the country to take urgent steps to address the national security crisis which they said is at the risk of spiraling out of control.
They also recommended a comprehensive strategy for addressing the canker worm of corruption, by taking deliberate and painstaking steps for eliminating the root causes of corruption while developing a more sophisticated and even-handed strategy for investigation and prosecution of corrupt practices.
