Bola Tinubu, a national leader of
the All Progressive Congress (APC), has explained what President Muhammadu Buhari
meant by saying the lives of anyone who snatch ballot boxes during elections is
at risk.
At a meeting of APC leaders in
Abuja on Monday, Buhari said: “Anybody who decides to snatch ballot boxes or
lead thugs to disturb the election, maybe that would be the last unlawful
action he would take… I have directed the police and the military to be
ruthless.”
The statement had generated
different reactions from the public, with the opposition Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), saying the president had given the licence for citizens to be
killed.
But speaking with reporters at
the end of the meeting, Tinubu said Buhari’s directive is not for security
agencies to shoot indiscriminately but aim at only those who disrupt the
electoral process.
“I was in that meeting; the
president was just reinforcing the fact that if you you are out there snatching
ballot boxes, and causing destruction, you are at risk of your own life,” he
said.
“Whatever happens to you; no
president will give an order that his own citizens should be shot summarily.
No! No, its okay, emotions are running high these days. Any individual
including myself can be misinterpreted.
“These are not his words; he is a
law abiding person and he understands categorically and clearly what rule of
law is and the lives of individual citizens, that he is in that office to
protect.
“Now, let me run this; he has
been fighting Boko Haram, kidnappers and all these before this election, did
you hear him asking them to be shot and executed summarily? If he has gone
through that in the last five years, please give a benefit of the doubt.”
Speaking on the postponed
elections and INEC’s stance on campaigns, Tinubu said the electoral act allows
for campaigns 24 hours to elections.
“By law we should continue to
energise our people; it depends on our resources. Because the Electoral Act
allows us to that; and ask led us to stop campaigning only 24 hours before the
actual election,” he said.
“And once you have change the
date to February 23, you have given us the opening to campaign and energise. If
you have a garden and you don’t nourish with water, the grass will remain
dormant; we don’t want our party to remain dormant.
“This is ability of leadership to
convert adversity to opportunity and prosperity and that’s it; that’s what we
must do.”
On if the postponement cast doubt
on the credibility of INEC, Tinubu said, “It depends on how it is handled and
the process. How the process is managed; you can convert in crisis–a situation
of adversity to an opportunity and progress
“The INEC, under the law , they
are empowered to postpone, cancel and do whatever is necessary to ensure free
and fair election. No party no matter the anger, the disappointment, no party
can reverse that. So, we are ready for February 23.”
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