It’s again political season and the era when touts and hooligans masquerading as politicians or political thugs are unleashed on the people. It’s yet another political silly season when the people who lack the competence to hold up arguments or lack the knowledge or ability to advance superior arguments to sway voters to their side or convince them enough to sell their candidacy or choice as aspirants resort to brigandage, brutality or banditry to cow people into voting for them or their preferred candidates or parties.
Welcome to that era when threats fly left, right, and centre. We are again at that period when people who have been living as neighbours in peace are pitched against one another along ethnic, religious, and tribal lines. Where an ethnic nationality is threatened with genocide for preferring one candidate against the other, even though both candidates are of the same ethnic group.We are again on the threshold of another rise in political killings and deaths from unknown gunmen.
This is the era when promises that are never meant to be kept are made and a few cups of rice, tomato paste, and a few loaves of bread will be coming to your doorsteps as campaign promises and electoral bait.We are also at the period when politicians and their spouses will start eating roasted corn, plantain, and frying akara in public as decoy for identifying with their poor constituents.
My country people, welcome to that season when campaign posters will start flooding everywhere and billboards will become prominent and conspicuous in environments and terrains that electricity, boreholes, and health care services remain unavailable. Areas hitherto inaccessible due to bad or no roads, will be reached now by vote-seeking politicians.
The 2023 general election was one experience that we must not relive. One of the easiest ways to tear a nation apart is to play tribal or religious sentiments, especially during elections. How can politicians entertain open threats over political differences in a constitutional democracy? The more descent people frown against these unbecoming conducts, the more brazing these politicians get.During the last Osun State election, a certain Senator Francis Fadahunsi shamelessly and unabashedly openly called for the killings of opposition party members.
With the condemnation that greeted his misconduct, one would have thought that some people would at least draw a lesson or two from that on how not to speak before reasoning. Sadly, the reverse is the case.
Recently, the Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, in a viral statement, warned residents to align with the All Progressives Congress (APC) or leave the council area.In the widely circulated video, Shekwolo is heard declaring that residents must either support the APC or vacate the area council, insisting, “It’s either you are with us or you are against us.”He further linked infrastructure benefits from the Minister and the President to political loyalty, warning against opposition come election time.Mr. Shekwolo spoke ahead of the FCT Youth Network leadership election scheduled for last Saturday.
The FCT Youth Network (FCT-YN) is a grassroots youth coalition operating across all six area councils in Abuja.Expectedly, Nigerians and human rights organisations have condemned him. Some even demanded his immediate arrest.Following the severe public backlash, Shekwolo withdrew his comments and issued an unconvincing clarification.
He claimed his words were “taken out of context and sensationalised” during a closed-door meeting with APC youth loyalists. He publicly acknowledged that he possesses no authority to disenfranchise, discriminate against, or expel any citizen based on political choices, reiterating that his administration remains open to inclusive governance for all Kuje residents.
The chairman made the clarification during a press conference while responding to reactions to the controversial remarks.“In public governance, clarity, truth, and transparency are essential.
In recent days, certain statements made were taken out of context and leading to a distorted narrative that does not reflect my true intents or core values or the official position of this administration,” he said.Shekwolo urged journalists to consider the context of statements before publishing them.“While I respect the press and its vital role as a pillar of our democracy, it is crucial to clarify the intent of the message,” he said.
Shekwolo explained that the remarks were made in a specific context while addressing issues relating to administrative efficiency, local development and community welfare.“The remarks were made in a specific context aimed at addressing administrative efficiency, local development and community welfare.
You may recall that the events that led to the unfortunate meeting was a meeting with APC party and loyalists,” he said.He also said he had no intention of violating the fundamental rights of residents in the council.“I have no right to any resident or citizens of their fundamental human rights in the council,” he said.Shekwolo added that his administration remained committed to inclusive governance, equity and the development of all communities in Kuje Area Council.
He also called on journalists to uphold professional standards by verifying the context of statements before publication.“I urge the media to maintain a high standard of professional journalism by verifying contexts before publications because we are partners. Our doors remain open for constructive dialogue and feedback,” Shekwolo said.Clearly, this young man belongs to the correctional facility within his council area.
He has no business holding public office. We can not afford to allow the likes of Fadahunsi and Shekwolo to roam freely during our elections. There are several of these harbingers of electoral violence in our political parties.Even with the Osun election won and lost, Adeleke issued with his certificate of return, there has remained a worrisome situation of several post election killings in Osun.
What manner of barbarism are we practising in the name of democracy?Shekwolo’s so-called clarification did not help his case one bit. First, even if he was addressing APC faithful, did he still have any right threatening them to leave the council area if they refused to vote their party? Are the president and minister building the infrastructure with their personal finance? Even then, where did he derive the power of threatening them that they can not be enjoying those infrastructure and refuse to vote his party? Do people no longer enjoy the prerogative to vote their choices?How could he have claimed to have been quoted out of context?
Were there actually any threats, whether to the general public or to his party members? Is there any place for this in a constitutional democracy?Enough of this divisive rhetoric. We are not a society of outlaws and brigands. We can not continue to tolerate politicians whose modus operandi are the spilling of blood, violence, and threats to Nigerians who are constitionally guaranteed the freedom to live wherever they choose and choice of whichever candidate they decide.
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Clearly, this young man belongs to the correctional facility within his council area. He has no business holding public office. We can not afford to allow the likes of Fadahunsi and Shekwolo to roam freely during our elections. There are several of these harbingers of electoral violence in our political parties.
