{"id":340642,"date":"2011-03-26T17:25:44","date_gmt":"2011-03-26T17:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/03\/26\/in-the-throes-of-fearthe-magnifying-spectre-of-violence\/"},"modified":"2011-03-26T17:25:44","modified_gmt":"2011-03-26T17:25:44","slug":"in-the-throes-of-fearthe-magnifying-spectre-of-violence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/26\/in-the-throes-of-fearthe-magnifying-spectre-of-violence\/","title":{"rendered":"In the throes of fear:The magnifying spectre of violence"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

By Jide Ajani, <\/strong>Editor, Northern Operations<\/p>\n

Elections in Nigeria have always witnessed a plethora of violent incidents.\u00a0 But, in spite of repeated assurances that this year\u2019s elections would be different, the magnifying spectre of violence in the week before the polls has created a cumulus of fear in the land.\u00a0 This report examines the reasons for this.<\/p>\n

Even if they had planned to ambush one another, they never planned for the outcome.\u00a0 At this rate, they may not have citizens left to govern. The continuing tussle between Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and his former friend, John Akpan Udoedeghe, has left many wondering what would happen on the day of election!<\/p>\n

With no fewer than\u00a0 200 brand new cars and\u00a0 500 motorised tricycles burnt, about a dozen lives lost, the fear of violence became real in Akwa Ibom last Tuesday.<\/p>\n

While the governor is of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the other, a defector, is of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.<\/p>\n

ACN claims its campaign convoy was ambushed by PDP supporters while PDP is insisting that the ACN governorship candidate instigated his supporters against the people of the state.\u00a0 Between these two claims lay the silly reason for the wanton destruction of lives and property.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hundreds of cars burnt during the PDP\/ACN clash at the Akwa Ibom State’s Idongesit Nkanga secretariat, Uyo, Tuesday<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As if last week signposted itself to be a reminder that anything could happen during the elections , incidents of violence were recorded in Jos, Plateau state; Pambegua, Kaduna State; Ilogbo, Ijero-Ekiti, Ekiti State; Akure, Ondo State; Hadejia, Jigawa State;\u00a0 Osogbo, Osun State; Ibadan, Oyo State; and Bayelsa State.\u00a0\u00a0 Meanwhile, in Kwara State, the police authorities have declared 148 persons wanted for their suspected involvement in political violence.<\/p>\n

Before the recent spate of violence, Bayelsa State had already set a record of the state where campaign rallies or political gatherings had witnessed bombings.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, December 29, 2010, two explosions rocked the campaign rally of a PDP aspirant, Beinmo Rufus-Spiff, sending shock waves across the state of more trouble days ahead in the build-up to the polls. Whoever planted\u00a0 the explosive devices, suspected to be dynamites, at the venue of the rally, succeeded in disrupting the event!\u00a0 Two days later, the now infamous December 31, 2010 bombing of a Mammy market in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, left many in horror. Four people were kiled in the blast.
The events of last week, coming just days to the elections, created new dimensions in fear and horror.
The Akwa Ibom incident, where IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), were used in its most basic form, sends disturbing signals \u2013 petrol bombs were used.<\/p>\n

And, by whatever arrangements the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, puts in place, how would it deal with IEDs?<\/p>\n

The policemen who would be on duty, how would they protect voters and electoral officers from such acts of wanton violence?<\/p>\n

In the event of a sudden upheaval, how does INEC respond?\u00a0 Meanwhile, the Osogbo incident involved an alleged direct confrontation which involved a number of punches being thrown by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC. He allegedly attacked a journalist on suspicion that he was out to do him in.
For instance, the crisis in Hadejia involved PDP, ACN and Congress for Progressive Change, CPC.\u00a0 The parties\u2019 supporters engaged in a free-for-all at the council headquarters.<\/p>\n

In Ekiti State, Mr. Femi Bamisile, a former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, escaped being shot, but his driver received a bullet in the leg.\u00a0 In the ensuing violence, police allegedly shot and killed one Ayo Kehinde Faluyi and Michael Ipindola.<\/p>\n

In response to the worsening acts of political violence in the land, President Goodluck Jonathan, after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting of last Wednesday, disclosed government\u2019s resolve to be decisive in dealing with the menace.<\/p>\n

The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, Emmanuel Ihenacho of Internal Affairs, and Humphrey Abbah of Police Affairs Ministry, conveyed Jonathan\u2019s resolve during a media briefing after the FEC meeting.<\/p>\n

Jonathan said he would be decisive against \u201canyone, any party, any group that threatened the life and property of others.\u201d\u00a0 Still on Jonathan\u2019s message, Maku said: \u201cFEC reviewed the increasing political violence across the country and the president believed that anyone seeking to lead Nigeria or seeking to participate in the leadership of Nigeria at any level is to respect the law of the land, is to respect safety of life and property.\u00a0 That is why today (Wednesday), Mr. President called on all security agencies as we go into the elections to step up the effort to contain the violence.<\/p>\n

He believes that no one is above the law.\u00a0 The campaign must show that we are prepared to lead our country to the era of stability.\u00a0 Democracy is about due process, it is about rule of law, it is about regulations.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. President,\u201d Maku continued, \u201ctherefore, appealed to all politicians to respect the law of the land, to put Nigeria first, to put lives of the citizens first.\u00a0 He calls on every party to work hard to prevail on their supporters to obey the laws of the land.\u00a0 Violence cannot be an instrument for getting power in a democracy.\u00a0 The electioneering process is about persuasion, it is about stating your covenant with the people, it is about debate, it is about discussion ,it should not be turned into warfare where people will come out with guns, machetes,and sticks.\u201d\u00a0 In case\u00a0 Jonathan needed reminding, the miscreants in Akwa Ibom State went a dangerous step further by using petrol bombs.<\/p>\n

Abbah, the man in charge of the Police Affairs Ministry, added the weight of his ministry: \u201cWe will apply the law to all manner of men, to everybody without exception.\u00a0 So, please, in our collective interest, we want to appeal to everybody to run away from violence.\u00a0 Go and canvass for votes, go and cast your votes without resorting to violence.\u00a0 Government in its responsibility will arrest the situation.\u00a0 To those of us who are law-abiding, we want to assure you that your security is assured.\u201d
To be fair to Mr. President, how does he control the mandibular exuberance of politicians who go to rallies to incite the citizens?<\/p>\n

How does\u00a0 Jonathan plan to keep in check over-excited political party agents on the day of election when their every act could make or mar the process?<\/p>\n

Better still, what would Prof. Attahiru Jega, the INEC chairman, do, when politicians decide to don their robe of dishonour?<\/p>\n

Already, former governors of Oyo and Ekiti states, Lam Adesina, and Olusegun Oni; ex-Minister of Aviation,\u00a0 Babatunde Omotoba, as well as a one-time deputy governor of Ekiti State, Mrs.\u00a0 Biodun Olujinmi, have come out to express their concern about the orgy of violence that may grip the nation during the elections.<\/p>\n

They may be right.\u00a0 Even the State Security Service, SSS, has expressed that much concern (See Abuja Bulletin story on security).\u00a0 The Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, just last week organised a security meeting in Kaduna where it invited retired services chiefs of all the forces including the SSS and Directorate of Military Intelligence, DMI, to jaw-jaw on the increasing spate of violence in the country.\u00a0 It resolved that more needs be done by the authourities.\u00a0 Its meeting was called to discuss the rising spate of ethno-religious crises in the northern part of the country.<\/p>\n

All things being equal, on the day of election, Nigerians would just get by and the international observers would issue their statement which would likely put Nigeria\u2019s election in a straightjacket which typifies a cross between \u201cfree and fair, acceptable or meeting minimum standards.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\nIn the throes of fear:The magnifying spectre of violence<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Jide Ajani, Editor, Northern Operations Elections in Nigeria have always witnessed a plethora of violent incidents.\u00a0 But, in spite of repeated assurances that this year\u2019s elections would be different, the magnifying spectre of violence in the week before the polls has created a cumulus of fear in the land.\u00a0 This report examines the reasons for this. Even if they had planned to ambush one another, they never planned for the outcome.\u00a0 At this rate, they may not have citizens left to govern. The continuing tussle between Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and his former friend, John Akpan Udoedeghe, has left many wondering what would happen on the day of election! With no fewer than\u00a0 200 brand new cars and\u00a0 500 motorised tricycles burnt, about a dozen lives lost, the fear of violence became real in Akwa Ibom last Tuesday. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-340642","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-business"},"yoast_head":"\nIn the throes of fear:The magnifying spectre of violence - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/03\/26\/in-the-throes-of-fearthe-magnifying-spectre-of-violence\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"In the throes of fear:The magnifying spectre of violence - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"By Jide Ajani, Editor, Northern Operations Elections in Nigeria have always witnessed a plethora of violent incidents.\u00a0 But, in spite of repeated assurances that this year\u2019s elections would be different, the magnifying spectre of violence in the week before the polls has created a cumulus of fear in the land.\u00a0 This report examines the reasons for this. Even if they had planned to ambush one another, they never planned for the outcome.\u00a0 At this rate, they may not have citizens left to govern. The continuing tussle between Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State and his former friend, John Akpan Udoedeghe, has left many wondering what would happen on the day of election! 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