A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, on Sunday asked President Goodluck Jonathan and the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) to sign a Memorandum of Undertaking that will commit them to control their supporters against violence after the 2015 general elections.
Akinyemi, in an open letter to President Jonathan and Buhari, warned that the 2015 elections would be worse than that of 2011 because “the illegal massive importation of weapons into the country has reached an alarming rate.”
He said, “The first step is for the two presidential aspirants to sign a MoU that will commit both to a civil and peaceful campaign, devoid of threats and a commitment to preach peaceful elections to their supporters.
“The certainty of violence after the 2015 elections is higher that it was in 2011. If President Jonathan wins, the North would erupt into violence as it did in 2011.
If Buhari wins, the Niger Delta will erupt into violence. I don’t believe we need rocket science to make this prediction.”
The former minister said the prediction from the “United States of America’s semi-official sources that the world is expecting a cataclysmic meltdown of Nigeria nation come 2015” should be taken seriously.
According to him, supporters of whoever loses should be entitled to peaceful protests but not violent protests.
He also called on the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar; the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Lamido Sanusi; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade and a former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd.) to facilitate a pre-election meeting between Jonathan and Buhari and to assist in managing the post-election conflicts.
He recalled that prior to the 2011 elections; his advice on the management of post-election violence was not heeded.
“Now, we are back at the same crossroads, except that this time is more precarious and dangerous than the last time.
There are states and movements out there, African and non-African which do not mean well for Nigeria and who wish Nigeria dissolve into a theater of bloodshed, gore and instability.
They will succeed if we continue the politics of making enemies of ourselves and friends of our enemies,” he said.
Source; Punch
