25th March, 2011
A PDP Senatorial candidate for Akwa Ibom North East District, Rep. Ita Enang, on Thursday condemned the wave of political violence in the country.
Enang, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, urged politicians and their supporters to eschew violence and allow peace to reign.
“I want to use this opportunity to condemn the kind of violence that seems to appear in the polity .The way we are going is not safe for the country,†he said.
He noted that security was critical to the democratic process every Nigerian was clamouring for and that the only solution to the rising wave of violence was the politicians themselves.
He said the attention of the international community was on the country to conduct free and credible elections in April.
He also attributed youth’s involvement in thuggery to the increasing unemployment in the country.
“If the youth that are used by politicians are engaged, they will not go into thuggery,†he said.
He said that Nigerians must avoid the culture of violence to enable the country move forward.
NAN recalls that INEC, at meeting with leaders of political parties on March 23, warned that it would sanction politicians involved in political violence.
Meanwhile, nine political parties have fielded candidates for the forthcoming governorship election in Jigawa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt from INEC’s office in Dutse that out of 63 political parties, nine parties had presented candidates for the governorship position.
The INEC Head of Publicity and Political Affairs, Malam Soraju Kore told NAN that the parties were ACN, ADC, ANPP, APGA, APS, CPC, MPPP, NRP and PDP.
Kore said the commission had made adequate preparations for the election which would commence on April 2 with the senatorial election.