The governor of Kaduna state, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, has assured that the state government is determined to go after and prosecute all those threatening peace in the state.
Speaking at a summit towards peaceful 2019 general elections in Kaduna organised by Kaduna State Peace Commission, El-Rufai said his party is committed to peace and peaceful elections in the state.
He however expressed optimism that there will not be violence in Kaduna during and after the 2019 general elections, if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducts credible poll like the recent gubernatorial election in Osun state.
He attributed massive rigging of elections to being responsible for the post-election violence experienced in the past.
According to him, “Our party is committed to peace and peaceful elections. The political parties that merged with APC were victims of rigged elections and consequential violence. It was the massive rigging of election in 2011 that led to widespread violence at that time and Kaduna state lost over 800 lives.
“The election of 2015 was a game-changer because everybody believed it was credible particularly in the northern part of Nigeria and Southwest. To a large extent, most people believed that 2015 election were credible and that was why it was inevitable that President Jonathan had to concede and here in Kaduna state, we are also happy the governor then called me and conceded.
“It is my view as candidate of APC that if INEC conducts election of 2019 with the same kind of credibility as Osun election, there will be no violence at all because it is rigging that leads to violence.
“Elections and campaign in Kaduna state have generally been peaceful. It is after the results are announced that we have instances of violence.
“Politicians have been engaging in hate speeches and they have been encouraging others to engage on social media, incitement, malicious falsehood and religious and ethnic sentiments in politics. This is the biggest problem we are facing as a government. I appeal to all of us, politicians, to desist from these.
“We end up destroying lives by giving young people weapons and guns for election purposes. What will they do with them after the elections?
“They become a monster difficult to deal with. So, I want to appeal to our colleagues to listen to what Bishop Fearon said to mind our language, to avoid using improper words because politic is not war. It’s just a competition. We should try not to divide our people because if we win, we still need to unite them to govern them.
“If we care about our people, if we care about our state let us campaign in peace; let’s follow the tenet of our religions. Let’s campaign on issues and achievements. May the best man or woman win.
“And for us in the Kaduna state government, we are determined to bring to justice anyone that engage in hate speech in their tweets, Facebook, WhatsApp that lead to destruction of property or human being in Kaduna state. We are doing that vigorously. We don’t care what people say.
“Anyone that comes to Kaduna and say something or even outside Kaduna no matter who he is whether Bishop, Imam or Sheikh. Whether he calls himself chief or Hakimi, we will bring him to justice. We are ready to bring him to Kaduna and prosecute him and we are in the trail of many of them – some in Abuja, Lagos.
“We will bring them to Kaduna and try them for incitement, malicious falsehood or hate speech. We are trying to do that and we are not going to politicise it because the protection of lives and properties should never be politicised.”
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna state, Hon. Hassan Hyet charged the ruling party to ensure a peaceful election, saying that fairness, equity and justice are the foundation for peaceful elections.
He said the PDP is ready to conduct itself in accordance with the law and the INEC guidelines, but the security agencies and the electoral umpire must equally play by the rules and avoid being partisan.
Daily Trust reports that chairmen and gubernatorial candidates of other political parties who spoke at the event assured their readiness to play by the rules and urged the ruling party not use the instruments of the state to rig the election in its favour.
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