With all the callings of Nigerian youths to stay steer clear from political thuggery, it seems the youths are deaf to adjust from barbaric politics.
At any time, when election begins to knock on the doors of the voters; clerics, journalists and advisers turn to be preaching on peace and tolerance among the politicians and the people.
Nigeria is a very volatile country when it comes to politics.
The politicians engage in politics as a do or die affair and many can do anything to secure power.
One thing that engineer chaos, unrest and thuggery of clashes is the dividends and incentives attached to political power.
It is a living witness on how we see our Honourable, political leaders on television fighting in the House of Assembly chambers for interests and benefits.
The youths and the politicians are all dying for the money politics is giving to them. If the remunerations can be slashed to a fair amount, political chaos will surely reduce because politicians are perpetrating assaults not because they want to be on the seats to do good and justice for the people but mostly, in Nigeria, our politicians are after what they will get and toss in their pockets because many of them forget the people after having the mandate of the people until another time of voting clocks.
The attack on the former governor and Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso is indicating that in Nigeria politics can never be without bitterness.
Many youths had now made themselves merchants of atrocities to get livelihood income and during campaigns they will mixed-up with certified security personnel frightening people around with their sort of weapons in the broad day light.
It is in Nigeria a presidential and governorship aspirants will campaign around streets with thugs exposing weapons and making provocative comments to their rivals to show their readiness to kill.
Many politicians prefer to employ the services of thugs known with sorts of crimes to protect them rather than government security agents and this cause fracas among the thugs of different gangs.
One will be amazed to wonder about the constitutional order of Nigeria and the laws that forbids intimidations and inflicting fear in the minds of people during electioneering campaigns.
The attack on Senator Kwankwaso is speculated to had caused the death of almost five persons, injured many and more than ten cars were blazed.
The community of Kofa in Bebeji Local Government was besieged with lawlessness in the name of politics as the loyalists gang of member, representing Kiru/Bebeji Local Government, Abdulmumini Jibril invaded the village of Kofa and barricade access to the convoy of the PDP governorship candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf to the village for campaign.
This kind of bloody clash is not the first one in Kano that claimed lives and breached the public right of peace and tranquility.
Since before the time political campaigns officially started, for the 2019 general elections, more than 10 persons were killed and the Police in Kano explained that it arrested 89 people associated with political violence.
Political rallies in Nigeria has been a major cause of political violence that ignites the flames of political war among the rival parties. And, it is now an open door for thieves to steal from people in the broad day light, amidst people.
During political campaign rallies, thugs now steal freely before the law and the makers of the laws. Miscreants halt people and seize them of their belongings and intimidate many with their weapons.
Political campaign rallies should be better banned to save lives and cordon breach of law, Nigeria should show signs of maturity and adopt the methods of civilized campaign.
Political campaigns are now done through the media and people will prefer to listen and watch political campaigns chats and programmes from their radio and television sets and the print media will serve as references to challenge the failure of leaders and also be as reminding tools of promises with proofs.
Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim
The Secretary General, Youths Salvation, Kaduna
[email protected]
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