The 19 northern governors on Thursday rose in defence of the Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari’s party on Wednesday had described the Jonathan administration as the “most corrupt ever,” in response to the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party’s attacks on his person over a comment in which the retired General threatened bloodshed in 2015 if the government dared rig the elections.
The northern governors on Thursday said Buhari’s comment was in order, observing that many eminent Nigerians had made worse comments.
Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, Babangida Aliyu, during a question-and-answer session with journalists after the Forum’s meeting in Kaduna, noted that Buhari had only sought to keep the Federal Government on its toes in order to ensure a free-and-fair election in 2015.
Aliyu is the governor of Niger State and a member of the PDP. Like Aliyu, the majority of the northern governors belong to the PDP.
The PDP had said that Buhari was bloodthirsty and suffering from “combat withdrawal syndrome.”
Aliyu, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, explained that what Buhari meant was that govenment should not ‘go and do bad election.’
He noted that Buhari’s statement was subject to different interpretation and cautioned eminent Nigerians against further inflammatory statements that could heat up the polity.
He said, “In a democratic system every individual has his ways and there are many of us whose ways of communication are quite different from others. Give the same statement to somebody, he may have used a different vocabulary.
“Again, certain facts are understood, that if this happens that would happen, I think it is a natural thing to do. Maybe those who may be too concerned have not looked at what other eminent Nigerians have been talking about.
“I saw one that said Nigeria is going to be Somalianised. I saw another one who has been talking like there would be war tomorrow. That statement should be taken on its own value.
“All of us who are involved in elections – political parties, contestants and voters themselves – we must all be careful so that there would be a semblance of good in whatever we do. But, again, like I said, certain people are so much in that position, they should be careful with certain vocabularies they use. So, both ways let’s take it on our own strides and ensure that future elections are seemed to be transparent and are seemed to be good.”
Buhari had made his now controversial comment while hosting members of the CPC from Niger State who had paid him a courtesy visit in Kaduna.
“God willing, by 2015, something will happen. They either conduct a free and fair election or they go a very disgraceful way. If what happened in 2011 (alleged rigging) should again happen in 2015, by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood,’’ he reportedly told his party men.
The Presidency had issued a quick response via a statement by Jonathan’s spokesman, Reuben Abati, saying Buhari’s statement was saddening and not worthy of a statesman.
The PDP, in an earlier reaction, had lambasted Buhari and asked the Federal Government to engage him in order to cure him of what the party said was “combat withdrawal syndrome” haunting the ex-head of state.
“If the retired general was suffering from combat withdrawal syndrome, then the Federal Government should allow him to lead the ECOWAS military contingent to Mali or Guinea Bissau to enable him an opportunity to exorcise the bloodletting demons apparently haunting him,” publicity secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, said at press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.
However, the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria had also on Wednesday lent its support to Buhari’s warning.
‘’We hold no brief for anyone. But it is true that if elections are rigged, as they have been so shamelessly and brazenly done by the PDP since 1999, naturally people will react, and in doing so it is impossible for anyone to predict how far things can go,” the party said in a statement by its spokesman, Lai Mohammed.
In a communiqué by the northern governors on Thursday, they noted the worsening state of security in their region and resolved to intensify efforts at finding lasting solutions to the problem by reaching out to all stakeholders.
The communiqué reads in part, “The alarming state of insecurity in the Northern states was discussed, thereafter, the Forum resolved as follows:
“We shall intensify efforts to find lasting solutions to the problem by reaching out to all stakeholders.
“The Forum cautioned eminent Nigerians against making inflammatory statement capable of affecting our fragile unity and security. We must be concerned with unity and development of the country in all ramifications.”
Meanwhile, the South-East chapter of the PDP on Thursday cautioned Buhari and described his contentious statement as “incendiary and bereft of patriotic intent.”
The PDP’s national vice-chairman in the zone, Col. Austin Akobundu (retd.), in a statement, applauded the prompt reaction of the Presidency and PDP to Buhari’s “outbursts.”
“The lamentable and wanton killing of South-Easterners, the shedding of the blood of our promising graduates on National Youth Service, soon after a similar speech by the CPC Presidential candidate after he lost the 2011 elections, informed the urgency of our speaking out now,” Akobundu said.
Punch
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The group that visited Buhari before his utterances were from Niger state - its means that, the election that brougt Aliyu to power was fraudulent,since he is in support of buhari's statement.
ReplyDeleteAt least they the PDP are openly acknowledging that they had been rigging elections until now
ReplyDeletewe are just wasting our time discussing what will happen in 2015 when we are still in 2012.Are we now playing God? our energy should be channeled towards the good of All.let 2015 sort itself.It really suits our dear president,he doesn't know that northerners are like high frame bicycles,no matter what you do for them,they can never be appreciative.he took more of the northerners to surround himself in order to please the north,not knowing that his just killing himself gradually.the only thing our president needs to do is to be focused and ask God for wisdom and we owe him our prayers.God bless our country.
ReplyDeleteMR PRESIDENT, DO NOT FOCUS UR ATTENTION TO ALL THIS BLOODYTHIRSTY OF NORTHERN AND DO NOT ALLOW ANY OF THEIR ACTION OR SPEECH TO WEIGHT DOWN, JUST HV IT AT THE BACK OF YOUR MIND THAT THE TAPROOT OF ALL THIS HAVOC OF NORTHERNS IS JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE NO LONGER IN THAT POSITION AND THEY WILL NEVER BE THEIR AGAIN IN THIS WORLD. BECAUSE, THE ALMIGHTY GOD KNOWNS THAT WHAT NIGERIA HAD ON 2011 ELECTION WAS AND IS A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION.AND THE SAME FREE AND FAIR ELECTION IS ALSO COMING UP AGAIN IN 2015.HOWEVER I REALLY WANT U TO FOCUS UR MIND TO GOD WHO MADE IT EASIER FOR U TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF NIGERIA.
ReplyDeleteGen.Buhari as a former Head of State should not be heard to be making such inciting statement as the very poor, illiterate Northerners may see it as a call to arms by their leader.
ReplyDeleteSuch statements by Gen.Buhari clearly indicates that he does not love Nigerians because, underlying the statement is the assertion that: All Nigerians can perish if he does not realise his Presidential dreams. This is a very dangerous omen and clearly warns that no one should vote him into the office of the President.
I just want Buhari to know that his background as a millitary man reflects in his utterances and that could be one of the reasons why he has been consistently loosing elections in this great Nation. However, he should come to terms with the fact that even though he is not ruling, Nigeria belongs to us all and as an hausa man, what is happening in the North now, that the people you supposedly longs to rule again are being killed like fowls should attract your attention now, rather than thinking about 2015 elections. What a pity!
ReplyDeleteViolence does not pay, and people that have involved themselves in any act of violence in the past lived to regret. For instance, Osama regretted all his actions and even warned his allies to shun violence just before he died.
On a final note, ruling Nigeria is not the birth right of any region or section in Nigeria; let the Electorates determine whom should lead them
Mr.P (GEJ) don't mind this bloody thirsty people (Buhari & Aliyu). Don't worry God will fight for you and the good Nigerians. the truth must surly prevail at last. May God give you wisdom and understanding, remember that God said to Solomon ask any thing and i will do it for you and he asked for God's WISDOM. so bear it in mind that their is nobody that will a leader and will not have enemy and their is nothing you can do to satisfied the world especially this northerners.
ReplyDeleteOnes Buhari looses an election it becomes rigged, The only thing Buhari n his supporters want to hear is that they win otherwise they start killing people in the name of rigging, is that democracy? If a free n fair election is conducted, believe me Buhari will not win cos of his utterances and instead of him to do a proper campain for votes he is busy planning for war. He should know that majority of his supporters are illitrates who can easily be incited to violent without reasoning, exactly what happened in 2011 after the election.
ReplyDeleteNigeria is not for him alone so he should let us be and give peace a chance.
When Buhari calls for the shedding of blood,we know very well whose blood will be shed.It is those of hapless southerners and northern Christians,it is those of defenceless Youth Corpers.It is the blood of people who have no say whatsoever in the vicious power play in the country and who have no vested interest in either the conduct of or the outcome of elections.Buhari,the 19 Northern governors siding him, the CPC and the opportunistic politicians applauding him, have blood on their hands-the blood of all those whom their followers have killed all these years and those that will definitly heed Buhari's call to kill more.What a country.
ReplyDeletelet him hat sins sin no more. let him that cheats cease from doing so. love your neighbour has your love yourself. that is the way forward.
ReplyDeleteWho is surprised? No one should be because these Northeners all think alike, very shallow set of individuals. Imagine the stupid boko haram saying western education is a sin, how were they able to learn to read and write? Mschewww mayb these enemies of peace and the 19 governors should just form their own country so we can have peace GOD bless Nigeria Amen.
ReplyDeleteHeeee: May God Almighty help us in dis country.
ReplyDeleteGEJ Should just arrest this man. is it by force?
ReplyDeleteI hope Aliyu does not think the presidency is the birthright of the hausas. PDP & ACN Fraternising, leaders of a sort, already over leadership that sunk the whole nation this low. GEJ should be careful some traitors in pdp could gang up with ACN to fuel boko haram. Be WISSSE. A word is enough for the........, boko haram will wither like grass during harmattan.
ReplyDelete