Jonathan cautions politicians against unguarded utterances

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that the nation’s political system is not ripe to withstand unguarded and careless political statements and action.

He observed that the utterances and conduct of leading politicians at home and abroad were creating   unnecessary tension in the country.

Jonathan therefore warned leading politicians and other interest groups against making unguarded statements capable of creating chaos before, during and after the 2015 general elections.

The President handed down the warning in Abuja on Thursday during the maiden All Nigeria Political Parties and Political Stakeholders Summit, organised by the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, and Office of the National Security Adviser to the President. The theme of the summit is, “Inter-Party Collaboration, National Stability and Democratic Consolidation.”

He noted that Article 7 of the Political Parties Code of Conduct, 2013 warned political parties or candidates against resorting 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”, he said.

Jonathan stressed the fact that such unguarded utterances fester the embers of discord, bitterness and rancour, warning that the “unfortunate development play into the hands of extremist elements waging a vicious campaign of terror against the state.”

The President noted that the recent killings of Nigerians in the Federal Capital Territory, Plateau, Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, as well as the heartless criminal abduction of over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok, could be better addressed by a political class united in its commitment to defend the polity irrespective of political differences.

According to him, the fundamentals and core imperatives of defending the state, must not be politicized.

Jonathan said, “We must never give them such opportunity. Our political parties must remain positive and constructive in their engagements as we seek to build virile and stable nation that can compete with other states in the world.”

He warned, “If our state enterprise fails, there is no political party or politician that can stand it. Hence at a time such as this, when our existence as a nation is threatened by anti-democratic forces, we politicians and political parties must rise to the higher moral grounds in defence and protection of our existence as one nation and one people.”

Earlier, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had deplored the incessant changing of political parties by politicians, branding such act as “political nomadism.”

In the same vein, the Chairman of the occasion and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar cautioned political leaders against making inciting statements.

Abubakar said that the current political atmosphere is charged, and compared it to the situation of the country when he took over government after the death of Gen. Sani Abacha in 1998.

Those in attendance include a National Leader of All Progressives Congress and a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammad Buhari (retd.), a former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, a former Deputy Head of State and General Chief of Staff, Commodore. Ebitu Ukiwe (retd.), representatives of former President Shehu Shagari, and of the major political parties including the Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party, Adamu Mu’azu.

Others are the National Security Adviser, Col, Sambo Dasuki (retd.), some state governors, former governors, and party stalwarts.