4th January, 2015
PRESS RELEASE:
2015 POLL: DON’T HEAT UP THE POLITY
The Nigerian political arena became tense in the last week
of year 2014 as both the Nigerian Police and the Nigerian Army issued terse
warnings to politicians to watch their utterances. To cap the edifice,
President Jonathan also flashed the yellow card threatening to deal with
trouble-makers in 2015. Sequel to the warnings, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, a key
opposition figure and spokesman of the All People’s Congress (APC), raised the
alarm that security agents were making moves to arrest him.
The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) wishes to caution the
major dramatis personae (the Presidency, the ruling party, the opposition, the
Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Police) on the need to observe decorum, adopt civilized
behavior, respect the rule of law and strictly adhere to the principles of
democracy. These are the only ways to avoid throwing Nigeria into chaos before,
during and after the 2015 general elections.
The Nigerian Police is reminded that it belongs to the
Nigerian people and not to any political party. We frown upon ugly incidents in
the past in which the police stood akimbo as hooligans attacked members of the opposition
or acts of connivance in which policemen protected members of the ruling party
as they commited acts of impunity. The only way the Nigerian Police can build
confidence in the people is not only by remaining neutral but by being seen to
be transparently impartial.
In particular, we warn the Nigerian Police and other
security agencies not to toy with the idea of arresting or detaining members of
the opposition on flimsy excuses and trumped-up charges. The arrest of Alhaji
Lai Muhammed during the Osun State gubernatorial election was in bad taste. It
was an assault on free speech.
The arrest of the spokesperson of the opposition implies
the gagging of the opposition. That is the road to perdition, dictatorship and
totalitarianism. It must never happen again. Nigerians are restless at the moment and the
whole country can be likened to the hen which perches on a rope: neither the
rope nor the hen can be stable. It was the intimidation of the opposition
members by law enforcement agencies which brought down the First and Second
Republics.
Members of the opposition are also cautioned to remember we
have no other country besides Nigeria. What matters is our dear country, Nigeria. Efforts aimed at securing
change of leadership and political control must therefore be made with due
regard for maintaining peaceful coexistence, law and order. The opposition
should refrain from character assassination or do or die politics. Nigerians
cannot be fooled by those who build castles in the air. The opposition will be held
accountable for promises made to Nigerians.
MURIC appeals to the Nigerian Army to stay out of politics. This is the only way to retain its
integrity. Politicking is unprofessional for any military institution and the
Nigerian Army should not be portrayed as the military wing of the ruling party.
In addition, involvement of the Nigerian military will be an unnecessary and debilitating
distraction in the war against insurgents.
We take exception to the Presidency’s warning to deal with
trouble-makers in 2015. By tying 2015 as a specific date to his warning, the
Presidency has turned on the red signal regarding the 2015 elections. This is an unnecessary
tension-rousing statement and it has already started creating tension in the political
circle.
MURIC requests clarification from Mr. President: who are
the trouble-makers? Is it members of other political parties who have
legitimate cause to issue statements to the general public or members of Boko
Haram who
are detonating bombs, killing and maiming innocent Nigerians?
We advise President Jonathan to develop the stomach for
opposing ideas and criticism as these constitute the mirror through which a true
leader can see himself, assess and improve upon his own performance. Mr.
President must bravely face the truth and start seeing his critics as his best
friends. On the contrary, Nigeria’s leader must beware of sycophants
and praise-singers because such people are faulty barometers for feeling the
pulse of society.
President Jonathan recently said that Nigerians would
praise him after leaving office. We disagree with this pattern of assessing
leaders. A leader’s assessment sheet is always there long before he leaves
office. He sees both the accolades and the condemnations while still in office.
Mr. President himself recently admitted that he often received good and bad
pieces of advice. We counsel the president to critically and objectively separate
the wheat from the chaff at all times.
Finally, MURIC charges opposition parties not to be
intimidated by the threat to deal with trouble-makers. They must not relent in their
resolve to strengthen democracy in the country, to promote free speech and to
liberate the jamaaheer (poor masses). We appeal to the rest of civil society to
rise to the occasion as Nigeria crawls towards the 2015 polls.
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
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