Gombe State wing of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) is ringing an alarm that the spate of political violence in the state can spell doom for the 2023 elections.
CNG Coordinator in the state, Muhammad Ibrahim, says the seeming consistency in the occurrence of political violence has unfortunately claimed so many innocent lives with property worth several millions of Naira destroyed in the process.
The group has noted with utter dismay that there are many instances still fresh in Gombe people’s minds, citing the clash in November 2021 between two political factions in Gombe town that resulted in the loss of lives and properties.
CNG in a statement said; “we want to note that those who were casualties in the incident were 100 per cent youths. Again, this year on 22nd January 2022, a similar incident happened in Funakaye Local Government Area where there was an attack that resulted in the destruction of properties between two major political parties in the state, that is, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”
It condemned the act and its perpetrators, also called for patriotism among political actors and stakeholders, saying; “we also want to call on the Government, the security agencies and all stakeholders to bring to an end this consistent political violence that is gradually ravaging the State at the moment.
“We wish to call on the youths of Gombe State to shun all kinds of political violence and avoid being used by political parties and politicians as political thugs and mercenaries for political ambition which is more or less selfish and not in any way to the youth’s interest or for the good of the masses.
“Lastly, we want to call on all political parties to adhere to the constitution to be patriotic and to avoid engaging in political violence or use of the youths for their own political ambition” Ibrahim said.
