Don’t compromise democracy by enabling election violence, Atiku cautions parties

Ahead of the Saturday’s governorship and State House of Assembly election, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has warned political leaders across the country, especially in Lagos State to desist from actions that promote election violence.

The former Vice President, while reacting to videos of threats targeted at some persons in Lagos, condemned what he described as “criminal silence of security agencies.”

Atiku, reacting to the “do or die “ posture that has characterised preparations for the election, warned that such violence “can compromise peace, unity and democracy in the country”

Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to Atiku Abubakar, in a statement on Friday, stated that “the PDP presidential flag bearer specifically frowns at how lackeys of political leaders in Lagos State continue to make ethnic slurs aimed at intimidating voters in the state.”

Atiku in reference to the viral videos showing a chieftain of one of the political parties threatening voters to stay away from the polling units, if they will not vote for their candidate, condemned the threats, which he noted can provoke disunity in the country.

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According to Atiku “I have watched with profound disdain a certain video in circulation where some persons known to be associates of the leaders of the ruling party in Lagos State are issuing threats against other ethnic groups in the build up to the Governorship and State House of Assembly election in the state tomorrow.

“I condemn this uncivilised behaviour and also condemn the criminal silence of the security agencies and the political leadership in Lagos State and Abuja on this development.”

It will be recalled that the helmsman of the Park Management System in Lagos State, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, threatened non-Yoruba, specifically Igbo in Lagos, not to dare vote for another political party other than the APC.

However, Atiku, in his rejection of the threats, said: “Every democracy is as virile as the culture of the electoral system that governs it. The democracy that we fought for and operate in Nigeria thrives on the principle of free and equal participation.

“Beyond that, I find it morally wrong and repugnant for political actors to make broad day incitements against a particular ethnic bloc, in an attempt to intimidate them from voting their choice candidate.

“It is not enough to talk about the promise of a free and fair election. The actions that we take prior to Election Day must have the integrity of a badge of honour.

“It is therefore, on this note, that I specifically call on security agencies in the country to ensure that politicians and their protégés submit to the rules of democratic fair-play across the country, especially in Lagos State, for the sake of decency and the promotion of peace and unity,” Atiku said.