Caution Against Attacks On Political Opponents
About five months into the campaigns of political parties and their candidates for the forthcoming general elections, and barely a week to the polls, violence has remained the bane of the nation’s political development.
From Lagos to Kaduna, Imo to Borno, Zamfara to Rivers, and most part of the country, political campaigns have been trailed by violence; leading to deaths and destruction of properties.
This is worrisome, especially owing to the fact that series of peace accords were entered into by the contending political parties and their candidates for the elections.
The peace accords were to ensure that campaigns are free of violence, mudslinging and name calling.
But the campaigns being witnessed across the states since last September when the exercise kicked-off across the states, and Federal Capital Territory, FCT, are devoid of issues. The candidates for the various elections have deprived the voters the opportunity to know what they intend to offer them, if elected. Rather, they resort to name callings.
Statutorily, campaigns are supposed to be issue-based. The soap box is meant to expose the voters to the intent of the politicians.
Politicians are rather shying away from issues that affect the people. Nigerians are daily faced with joblessness, unemployment, poor infrastructure, bad roads, lack of social amenities, poor healthcare, insecurity, nosediving economy and education etc. Yet, politicians contesting for the various political offices have refused to present workable templates to tackle these germane issues.
AljazirahNigeria checks revealed that politicians have taken the electorate for granted, relying rather on vote buying and inducement .
This is a wakeup call for voters to take politicians to task. There is no amount of money politicians will hand out now that will quantify what they stand to lose if they vote for incompetent leaders.
Such politicians, if they make it to office, would merely further impoverish the masses as they are never satisfied with treasury looting. Care for the masses is not their concern. In fact, dozens of them lack capacity. Hence, they resort to gangsterism and intimidation of their opponents.
Through intimidation and money politics, capable and well intended individuals are chased out of the race.
AljazirahNigeria reiterates that regulating authorities including the Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, should put in place stringent penalties for those engaging in electoral violence.
Although both the Federal and State Governments have made threats to deal with perpetrators of political violence, none has made good the threats. They should go beyond the threats and make the culprits serve as deterrent to others.
Until sponsors, culprits are apprehended, tried and made to face the wrath of the law, perpetrators will continue to engage in such unscrupulous and heinous crimes.
