20110422
vanguard

Prominent Nigerians are deploring the violence that erupted in some northern states in the aftermath of the presidential election and say it is unacceptable.

A chieftain of Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, Alhaji Abubakar Dan Musa says while the protests were unfortunate, the party's candi-dates 'are not to blame.'

The carnage was masterminded by people believed to be rooting for the CPC and its presidential flag bearer General Muhammadu Buhari

"The outbreak of violence in the Northern parts is unfortunate but the candidates are not to be blamed. There are so many factors that come to play. As many people are aware, the result of the presidential election is inflated in the South East and South South and that is not acceptable to CPC. No candidate should be blamed for what is happening in the North.

It is the peoples reaction and I condemn the violence in all its ramifications," Dan Musa said.

Alhaji Bashir Tofa, presidential candidate of the National Republican Convention, NRC, in the annulled June 12 1993 presidential election and a chieftain of All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, expressed dismay over the riots describing them as unwarranted.

"I thank God that Kano is a bit peaceful now compared to how it was. It's really unfortunate."

For Chief Barnabas Gemade, former National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, "the problem arose from the fact that many of the politicians from the North gave the electorate the impression that it is the turn of the North. It's just the same zoning argument being taken too far. But the security operatives are quelling the riots.

It's being contained. But what I know is that some of the people involved are not thinking deeply. It is some politicians from the North who have sold the rioters the dummy that it is the turn of the North to produce the president and they went haywire.

" This is not the time to keep silent. Opinion leaders from various sides of the North giving false impression to the electorates should know that politics is not by military fiat. It is a game. Somebody should win and somebody should lose.

Reports from international observers from all parts of the country indicate the presidential election was free , fair and credible. So, there's nothing like inflation of results anywhere."

Dr Chukwuemeka Ezeife, former governor of Anambra State and one-time Political Adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo thinks the ordinary people should not be blamed..

"I don't blame the ordinary people. If people who should know including Tony Momoh went on TV to say the computers used in collating Presidential elections in the South East were programmed to deduct 40 per cent of CPC votes, what do you expect? What he has done is to fire hatred and aggression all over the place.

What he was telling the people to do was to go on rampage and that was what they did. The idea of born-to-rule still exists in the North and must be washed out or we should go to a round table conference. People should eschew violence.

Not many Nigerians are literate enough to understand that what Tony Momoh said on national television was arrant nonsense and that his claims couldn't have been possible. So, we should be very careful with our public utterances".

Bello Abuldakir, a member of Northern Political Leaders Forum, NPLF, wonders why barbarism should be an option in tackling an issue like this.

" The carnage is inflicting more problems on the people. If somebody is not satisfied with the result of elections, he should go to court. That is the normal way and that is why we have election tribunals. Taking the law into one's own hands is not the way. Political and religious leaders should talk to their people because getting violent would not solve the problem. Rather, you inflict more problems on yourselves by embracing violence".

Professor Wole Soyinka says the riots are unfounded.

"Something more serious should be done. Some of the soldiers patrolling the streets should be sent to the small villages.

We have a security issue on our hands and an instant and drastic solution should be found to permanently stop the slaughter of innocent people on the slightest provocation. People are getting away with murder and there are no words strong enough to justify what is going on in the North. It's unacceptable. Political issues could be resolved but there's no way of bringing back lives that were terminated."