A Joint Action Committee of Northern Youth Associations (JACON) has described the recent outburst and threat to election observers by Kaduna state governor, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, as inflammatory statement meant to stock ember of discord and violence.
In a statement signed by the convener of JACON, Murtala Abubakar, on Thursday in Kaduna, the group said “as northern youths, we have resolved not to be drawn into any act that will lead to loss of lives and property in Kaduna state, the region or the nation.
“It is not surprising. What is surprising is extending it outside the shores of Kaduna and Nigeria, targeting the international community who are interested in fair, transparent, credible and peaceful elections in Nigeria.”
The governor had on Tuesday during a television interview warned foreign countries against interfering in the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria saying “any person that would come and intervene, they would go back in body bags.”
The statement added: “For the record, Governor El-Rufai is no stranger to such inflammatory statement because El-Rufai is known to have called the opposition in Kaduna ‘termites and ants and should be crushed.’
“He has asked those who asked questions on his style of scot-hearth leadership to climb Kufena Hill and jump to their death.
“We use this opportunity to call on the security agencies to ensure the protection of lives and property before, during and after the forthcoming elections.
“We also urge the international election observers not to bow to threats such as the one coming from Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai.
“In the face of this, we call on all to remain steadfast, not to bow to intimidation, not to play into the hands of people like El-Rufai whose plan is to throw the state and the nation into another round of bloodletting. We shall triumph over those who don’t want to see us in peace.”
