The Need For Political Tolerance

The alarm raised recently by the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, that the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government is planning to clampdown on opposition figures ahead of the 2015 general elections should make the federal authorities check its activities as we move toward the next elections.

Hounding perceived enemies and political opponents will not achieve anything, rather it may scuttle our hard-earned democracy, which will do nobody any good.

Unlike in other parts of the world, our peculiar kind of democracy has never favoured the opposition. The win at all costs syndrome has turned us into killers and destroyers but as we grow we develop democratically, common sense will prevail.

In almost all the states of the federation opposition parties are raising the alarm about unfair treatment and the spate of assassinations of the past may just resurface again if we keep going at it this way.

We believe the only solution to this unhealthy development is tolerance by both the ruling party and the opposition. Many of our elected representatives cannot walk the streets freely and few of them stay at home for fear of the unknown as many have been attacked by supporters of their opponents.

The lack of tolerance which involves dragging members of the opposition parties to court on trumped-up charges, preventing them from campaigning, issuing them death threats, destroying campaign posters, arresting and intimidating them for no known cause is not helping our democracy and the perpetrators know this but refuse to play the game by the rules.

It is time for all lovers of the truth to stand up and speak against intolerance which is building up and may spiral into blood letting if we allow it continue without check.