The recent peace accord signed by the presidential aspirants of different political should not be taken for granted. It is aimed at having a free and fair election and ensuring a violence-free exercise.
It is sad that reports have it that hoodlums attacked the convoy of the presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party in Maiduguri on November 9, 2022, after the party held its campaign in the state.
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There is still no clear indication as to which party the assailant belongs to but it was alleged that they were hired by the opposing political party to disrupt the process. This should not be tolerated. Security agents should make sure they bring those involved to book and punish them decisively to serve as a deterrent to others.
Allowing such people to go free or unpunished would do more harm than good to the nation’s democratic system as well as escalate violence among the different political party supporters. For instance, if APC supporters disrupt a PDP rally, nothing would stop PDP fans from retaliating. Thus, it would degenerate into fights among supporters.
Therefore, attacks during the campaign are an undemocratic move that is uncalled for in a country like ours where ethnicity, religion and cultural divides are a major concern. Also, it is one of the reasons why the nation’s democracy is unstable yet.
The issue of political thuggery threw many people into precarious situations. Many were killed or injured and properties were destroyed.
Therefore, political parties should warn their supporters from attacking or disrupting any political gathering in order to have a violence-free campaign and a free and fair election across the country.
Trisha Lydda Yusuf wrote from the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri
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