The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano on Tuesday alleged that the failure of security agencies to decisively check raising political violence may affect the credible conduct of elections in the state.
Besides, the opposition NNPP accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of fueling hated speeches and aiding violence against opposition parties in recent times.
NNPP gubernatorial candidate, Abba Kabiru Yusuf made the allegation at the Peace Summit organized by Nigeria Police Force, Kano state command ahead of next year’s elections.
The police have invited candidates vying for gubernatorial, senate, and the house of representatives across the political parties to public discussion essentially to address political tension and ensure violence-free in the 2023 poll.
Contestants of all the major political parties were in attendance except the gubernatorial candidates as well as the senatorial candidates of the APC.
Yusuf who raised concern about incessant attacks on his personal convey and campaign train of the oppositions worried that the security agencies had failed to act accordingly despite credible evidence forwarded to concerned authorities.
The NNPP reminded that the opposition was gradually lossing confidence on the assurance of security to do justice to all parties, wonder why several summits had previously failed to yield positive results.
On his part, the deputy gubernatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Yusuf Danbatta faulted the position of the NNPP, and insisted the security should not be apportioned with blames of an act triggered by political parties themselves.
Danbatta declared that politicians are potential culprits of violence because of the way and manner they manage and deploy thugs on campaign rallies. The PDP candidate noted that politicians who had failed to respect the constituted authorities have to moral justification to blame security agencies for any bridges, adding that security is responsible of all.
” We should not blame security agencies for all the political violence in the state because security alone cannot do the job. We have our role to play as politicians because we are culprits as well. We have failed to respect the country’s peace and security”. Danbatta noted.
However, the Vice chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alh. Shehu Maigari refuted allegations levelled against the ruling insisted the opposition NNPP cannot substantiate with evidence blames apportioned to the government.
Maigari who cited the attack allegedly orchestrated by the opposition against the APC Kano central senatorial candidate Abdussalam Abdulkarim Zaura reminded that the ruling party was equally victim of an ugly attack from opposition.
Earlier, the Chairman of Kano Civil Society Forum, Comrade Ibrahim Waiya explained that political violence may be difficult to curtail if the security continued to pay leap service to complaints and allegations against culprits.
Waiya made references to unguided utterances by some political actors unabatedly during their campaigns without actions from the security authorities. He wanted the police to match their promises with action so as to restore public confidence.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mamman Dauda said it is a collective responsibility to eschew and expose violence before, during and after the election, and added that police would not relent in efforts to bring culprits to book.
CP Dauda reminded that although police may not be able to fulfil the hundred percent satisfaction of all parties at the same time, he, however, pledged to force will be fair and do justice to all manners of people.