The radical pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere Renewal Group, ARG, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to “step aside” in reciprocation of the patriotism shown by Nigerians in accepting the postponement of the 2015 general elections.
The group asked that “If Nigerians are being asked to be patriotic enough to suffer the attendant cost of poll shift in order to fight insurgency – a man-made problem – then, is it not normal for an administration that has shown unprecedented lethargy in prosecuting war against insurgency to be equally patriotic enough to admit its failure and step aside?
ARG made its demand in a statement issued on Monday by its Publicity Secretary, Kunle Famoriyo, where it asserted that “Because patriotism should beget patriotism”.
It regretted that Nigerians had made sacrifices without a commensurate effort from the leadership as if citizens signed a master-slave contract with their leaders and added that “to continue on the path of impunity and blatant abuse of the democratic right of Nigerians as the handlers of Nigerian state are doing is the foundation for injustice.
“Yoruba people loathe such insensitivity and will always reject such leadership because you can delay the burial of a corpse, but the delay can never resurrect the corpse,” the group stated.
While admitting that INEC only exercised its constitutional powers, it however pointed out that the reason given by the Commission for staying the general elections is “untenable.”
ARG held that Nigeria’s defense and security institutions were yet to convince Nigerians that they are able to contain the Boko Haram insurgency adding that it remains to be seen how the new tactics and intelligence they now possess can help to curb it.
This led the group to surmise that “it is difficult to see how a six-year menace will disappear in six weeks.
“Indeed, the events of the past few weeks lend credence to a pervasive public opinion that INEC was coerced into its adopted position. Nigerians were not particularly surprised at the postponement and many actually saw it coming.
“There is no doubt an ‘executive coercion’ whose design and intent can only be to subjugate Nigeria’s premier democratic institution, and until the security chiefs are able to advance believable reasons and demonstrate renewed commitment to their constitutional duty, Nigerians will remain suspicious of a premeditated plan to subvert democratic process.
“The public perception that the defense institutions are being used to forcefully gain partisan ambition is widening and the current federal administration, as usual, appears not to give a damn. In fact, security chiefs are helping to reinforce this perception, in the light of recent revelation on Ekiti gubernatorial election, and it can only lead to truncation of democracy,” it stated.
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