The Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Architect Gabriel Yakubu Aduku, has called on all the stakeholders to conduct selves peacefully and in a non-violence manner ahead of the November governorship election in Kogi State so as to avert unneeded outcomes.
In his admonition message made available to newsmen in Jos Plateau State capital at the weekend, Aduku said the build-up to the election has not been encouraging as there have been several recorded violence cases in some parts of the State, especially in Kogi East.
He said if such violence continues it could make the federal government to strongly intervene and take several measures to curtail it, including declaring a state of emergency on the state which is what many individuals, groups/parties are already calling for.
Aduku who is also a former minister of State for Health said many persons and groups have equally been fingered in the violence, including the state government, stressing that people should be allowed to go about their electoral participation peacefully without any fear of intimidation whatsoever from any quarter.
He called on Governor Yahaya Bello to ensure a violence-free process as well as the protection of lives and properties as the number one security officer of the state, saying that the accusation from some quarters of him being part of the violence because of his own anointed candidate should be unheard of.
While calling on all aspirants and their supporters to go about their electioneering campaigns peacefully and in an unprovoked manner, and that people should be free to hold rallies, campaign for their candidates and eventually vote for them, Aduku said the people of the state have become more aware and their recent actions show that they too are equally tired of political violence, and are now yearning for violence-free and credible election that will produce the true candidate of the people.
