The National Democratic Front has condemned in totality the attack by
suspected All Progressive Congress (APC) thugs on the person and campaign
train of Prince Tarhemen Tarzor as a barbaric and animalistic expression
of failure by anti-democratic persons who still yet to settle down with
the norms and ethos of democratic practices in the world.
National President of the group, Comrade Philip Agbese in a reaction to
the unwarranted attempt onj the lives of Tarzor and his supporters at
after a church service at Agasha in Guma Local Government Area of Benue in
a statement warned that the ugly incident must be investigated by the
security agencies and any individual directly or indirectly involved must
be brought to book as the nation can nolonger afford to conduct its
activities like motor touts who use all manner of tools like guns, charms
and cutlasses during their elections.
According to him, the promoters of violence in Benue State and other parts
of Nigeria must be reminded that the era of garrison politics is gone and
the Nigerian people are now wiser and much more prepared to use their
Permanent Voter’s Card to decide candidates of their choice and will not
succumb to any amount of intimidation, coercion or use of crude implements
to change their minds.
Speaking further, Agbese lamented that if it were possible for President
Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to campaign yesterday at Daura, the home town of
his major challenger it therefore beats the imagination of every well
meaning Benue son and daughter to think that some persons are too mighty
to be challenged in an election.
He maintained that the rules have not changed and will not change and
therefore call on the youths to rise up with their PVCs to defend their
destinies on election days knowing well that these very element who could
not stop God in 2011 have further diminished in character, morality and
even financial source to challenge the popular wish of the people after
four (4) years.
“This particular news from Agasha, Guma Local Government Area of Benue
State is not only sad to the extent of its barabarism and animalism but
calls for urgent action by the security agencies as some persons have
deployed anti democratic forces to stop the wind of Transformation blowing
through the length and breadth of Benue State in particular and Nigeria in
general.”
“These characters that are yet still yet to grasp the techniques of modern
democratic culture like public debate, free expression and movement of
persons to sell their manifesto to the electorates are still pretending
and living in their old world of touting, ballot snatching and
intimidation of voters and have been griped with a fever of defeat to
start throwing physical attack on their opponents.”
“To us at the National Democratic Front, this callousness and madness must
be stopped immediately by the Police and other security agencies even as
we call on Prince Tarzor to remain resolute in his commitment to our
nascent democracy, we are also confident that the electorates would troop
out en mass on election to vote candidates of their choices irrespective
of the present threat and violence which some persons have already
substituted for peaceful and intellectual engagements,” the statement also