Chibuzo Ukaibe
Former head of state, General Abdusalami Abubakar, yesterday warned that the clamour of the North to reclaim power in 2015 and the ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan to seek another term in office could spell doom for the country if Nigerians do not close ranks and put the interest of the nation first.
Speaking at the 2nd Conference of the People’s Daily newspaper in Abuja, with the theme “Nigeria: The 2015 Question”, the former head of state pointed out that the tragic experience of the 2011 post-election violence is a clear indication that elections in the country is serious business that must be handled with the utmost seriousness and patriotism if the repeat of violence is to be avoided.
He warned: “The 2015 election is, among other things, expected to determine where power will reside in the next four years. The North is determined to have it back and its leaders are pulling all the stops to see that that happens. On the other hand, the body language of the incumbent president strongly suggests he wants another term in office.
“The unfolding scenario may portend danger for our nation if Nigerians from all parts of the country do not close ranks and put the interest of the nation first. The way we are able to handle this very important event will largely determine how successful we will be in our efforts at remaining united.”
In his remark, speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said 2015 “is in our hands if we want it to deliver a bright future or a fetus of aborted hopes and dreams”.
He stressed the need for political parties to conduct genuine party primaries which should serve as a test for the acceptability and popularity of every candidate, pointing out that the inability of party officials to run a fair contest has accounted for defections by party members.
He, however, expressed confidence that the nation can collectively rise above the challenge of conducting elections that Nigerians, Africa and the rest of the world will be proud of.
(From Biafra Galaxy)
