The federal government has no basis to stop elections in parts of the North-east on account of insurgency attacks since similar attacks in Abuja didn’t stop President Goodluck Jonathan and federal officials from going on with a planned rally in Kano during which the President led officials in singing and dancing 24 hours after more than 70 Nigerians were killed by suspected suicide bomber in Abuja, a Group, the North-east Democratic Network (NDN), has said.
In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, the coordinator of the group, Mu’azu Ibrahim Misau, said his members took particular interest in the explanation given by Information Minister, Labaran Maku, on Wednesday, saying that President Jonathan went ahead with the planned rally in Kano “mainly to prove to Boko Haram insurgents that their deadly activities wouldn’t hold back the country.”
The statement said: “What is good for the goose should be good for the gander. We are happy that Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, finally thought like our Governors in the North-east who have repeatedly argued that should we exclude any part of Nigeria from the 2015 elections on account of Boko Haram, it means the sect can declare victory. In fact, we suspect that the sect members probably decided to resume extended attacks to other parts of Nigeria like Benue, Kaduna, Taraba, Plateau and the most recent in Abuja, so that the INEC might also consider suspending elections in more places like the commission is considering in parts of the northeast.
Misau called on all National Assembly members in the northeast and other patriotic elements in the country to stand against any act that is capable of undermining the electoral rights of citizens.
The group called on citizens in the region not to elect bad leaders but only those with track records that can assist in addressing the security challenges in the region and the country at large.
