Abba Moro: Hold Opposition For Electoral Violence

Minister of Interior, Abba Moro has said the opposition parties should be held responsible for any acts of violence before, during and after the forthcoming general elections.

Moro said the attacks on the convoy of President Goodluck Jonathan in Katsina and Bauchi States and the burning of his campaign vehicles in Jos, Plateau State, were masterminded by opposition parties which he said have no regard for the Abuja peace accord signed by all the presidential candidates.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday when the Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Ben Angwe, presented copies of the Nigeria Prison audit to him, the minister explained that the opposition parties have engaged in attacks against the President and the Peoples Democratic Party without provocation.

Moro noted that Jonathan and the PDP were committed to violence-free elections in February in spite of the physical attacks and inciting language against the party and its presidential candidate.

He said, “In spite of the attacks on President Jonathan and the PDP, we have remained tolerant because we are committed to violence-free polls, but the opposition parties have been carrying out attacks on the President and his properties. So if there is violence during the elections, hold the opposition parties responsible.”

Meanwhile, the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in FCT has warned political parties against acts of violence during and after the forthcoming general elections.

The FCT Commissioner of Police and chairman of the committee, Wilson Inalegwu, listed some of the acts that could cause violence to include use of hate language during campaigns, thuggery, removing and burning posters and billboards of opponents.

Inalegwu who stated this during a meeting with stakeholders in Abuja on Tuesday, warned that anyone arrested for political thuggery would be thoroughly investigated to find out his or her sponsors for prosecution.

He said, “We urge you to avoid acts that will lead to electoral violence; we want to warn you against thuggery, people being hired to perpetrate violence that will not be tolerated.

“Also, we advise very strongly that in your campaigns, you should avoid hate language; your campaigns should address key issues. Languages that cause division should be avoided. If we arrest any political thug causing violence, we will not stop at him; we will investigate up to whoever sponsors him; as the thug is being prosecuted, whoever sponsors him will also be prosecuted.”

Inalegwu said politicians would not be allowed into polling stations in motorcade, using siren during the election, adding that all polling units would be adequately covered in terms of security.

The FCT Resident Electoral Commission, Prof. Jacob Jato, and co-chair of the committee, said the Independent National Electoral Commission was desirous of a credible election devoid of violence.

Jato, however, said this was possible with cooperation of all stakeholders and urged the representatives of the parties to work with the commission for peaceful election in the territory.

He said so far 54 per cent of the Permanent Voter Cards had been distributed to registered voters in the FCT.