The youth wing of the apex Igbo socio- cultural organisation, the Ohaneze Ndigbo, has strongly condemned the recent attacks on the campaign train of President Goodluck Jonathan in Katsina and Bauchi states.
The National President of Ohaneze Youth Council, Mr. Okechukwu Isiguzoro, told our correspondent in Umuahia that Igbo youths would use their votes as a reprisal weapon against any attack on Jonathan.
Isiguzoro said any attack on Jonathan would henceforth be considered an “attack against Ohaneze youths because we have adopted him as our consensus Presidential candidate, and we will use our votes to retaliate by voting against those behind the attacks.”
He said the attacks portrayed grave danger to Nigeria’s unity and democracy, alleging that “sponsors of Boko Haram are now behind those throwing stones and water sachet at Mr. President.”
This, he said, “shows the desperation of those who are hell bent on thwarting Nigeria’s democracy.”
He called on the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd), to caution his supporters.
Isiguzoro said Buhari could not be trusted with the security of Nigeria if he could not control his supporters.
He also called on Igbo residents in the North to be vigilant and defend themselves against electoral violence, warning that Ohaneze youths would no longer tolerate wanton destruction of lives and property of Igbos in the North during electoral violence.
Also condemning the attacks on Jonathan’s convoy, the Acting National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, Chris Uche, said the development was a danger signal to Nigeria’s democratic experiment.
Uche, told our correspondent, that the incident had cast serious doubt on the recent Abuja peace accord signed by presidential candidates.
The APGA boss supported calls for the postponement of elections, citing security concerns.
He said, “This country needs to go back to the drawing board because you cannot be talking of election if people are getting killed.”
“The North is very volatile now and if the people who are ready to unleash mayhem are not controlled the elections may not be peaceful.”
“It may be meaningful to consider the suggestion by the National Security Adviser to Mr. President that the election be shifted,” he said.
APGA therefore cautioned the Peoples Democratic Party and the APC against plunging Nigeria into another civil unrest. Punch
