Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has urged all Nigerians to resist electoral violence because elections are not a do or die affair.
Ekweremadu according to a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media, Uche Anichukwu made the call while being conferred with the honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D) award at the 44th convocation ceremony of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka on Saturday.
He said “Election is not a do-or-die affair. We are worried about the attacks on some political actors by people in parts of the country other than their own. Let us stand together and call the political elites to order. We must admit that elections will come and go, but that this country will remain.
Therefore, we must play politics with every sense of responsibility, ensuring that everybody is accorded his due respect.
“We must also bear in mind that events and utterances that incubate electoral violence start well ahead of elections. We must live with a sense of history and remember that the same tree stump does not trip a wise man twice.”
He also added that “Today, human life is cheap, unlike in the days of our fathers. Stealing used to be a taboo. Today, people are kidnapped and armed robbers are on rampage unlike our school days.
“There are so many churches and mosques today, yet we have more evil. Indeed, there is need for all to rise across religious and ethnic divides to restore the dignity of man.”
Furthermore, the presidency has said that although there is a resolve to ensure the elections are free and fair, any attempt by an opposition party to form alternative government will be rejected.
The Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Chairman, presidential amnesty programme, Mr. Kingsley Kuku made this statement in Port Harcourt yesterday at an ethnic nationality summit.
Kuku said “If the APC is confident that it would win the presidential elections, why should the party now resort to threats? Nigeria is too big for any group of people to contemplate the idea of forming an alternative government when there already exists a legitimate administration voted into office by Nigerians.”