Anti-democratic Forces May Truncate 2015 Polls, Jonathan Warns

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday raised the alarm over an alleged plot by anti-democratic elements in the country to take advantage of certain loopholes in the electoral processes to truncate the 2015 general elections.

He said: “I agree totally with the Chairman of INEC that we have to be mindful and listen very well so that we can save our necks. There are still very remorseless anti-democratic forces operating in the political system, ever ready to exploit lapses in the management of our political and electoral processes. Some of these forces may indeed during the fourth coming elections as their lifestyle, truncate the nation’s hard won democratic liberty”.

Jonathan, who stated this, while speaking at the All Political Parties Summit with the theme: “Inter-Party Collaboration, National Stability and Democratic Consolidation”, organised by the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi and the office of the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, warned that the country’s social stability and democratic consolidation risked being undermined if critical national political stakeholders indifferently and wrongly presume that the nation’s democratic system has become invincible to be taken for granted without constant and careful monitoring.

“But dear compatriots, with respect to the 2015 elections in particular and our journey as a nation in general, we must never allow these negative forces to prevail”, he cautioned.

Quoting Article 7 of the code of conduct for political behavior, the president said: “No political Party or candidate shall during campaign, resort to the use of inflammatory language, provocative actions, images or manifestation that incite violence, hatred, contempt, or intimidation against another party or candidate, or any person or group of persons on grounds of ethnicity, gender or for any other reason.

“However, dear compatriots, the current national political outlook with regards to inter-party collaboration is less than salutary. Indeed, the conduct and utterances of leading politicians at home and abroad are rapidly creating and spreading unnecessary tension in the country.

“Such unguarded utterances on their part fan the embers of discord, bitterness and rancour. Such unfortunate development play into the hands of extremist elements waging a vicious campaign of terror against the state. The recent mindless bombings and killings of innocent Nigerians in the FCT, Jos in Plateau State, the killings in Adamawa state including that of the traditional ruler as well as the heartless criminal abduction of over 200 school girls from Chibok are better addressed by a political class united in its commitment to defend the polity irrespective of political differences”.

The summit was attended by important dignitaries including President Goodluck Jonathan, Generals Muhamadu Buhari and Abdulsalami Abubakar (former Military Heads of state), People Democratic Party, PDP, national chairman, Dr. Mu’azu Adamu among others.