presidential and National Assembly elections in parts of Lagos State,
“particularly at Igbo dominated pulling units”, the South East Revival
Group (SERG) has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria and, indeed, all
security agencies “to ensure no Nigerian got molested for exercising their
franchise in accordance with the laws of the land.”
In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday and signed by its National
Coordinator, Chief Willy Ezugwu, the SERG noted that it was “baffled that
Nigeria can degenerate into the level of anarchy witnessed during the
presidential and national legislative elections where ethnic groups were
not only singled out for intimidation but thugs could burn ballot boxes
and the entire votes cast in broad daylight without any immediate arrests.
“We recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the military to
shoot-on-sight all ballot boxes snatchers but, unfortunately, no security
agent immediately intervened while the sanctity of the ballot box was
being desecrated in the open.
“We are deeply worried that verbal and physical attacks have continued to
trail the elections which held penultimate Saturday. If not proactively
checkmated, non-Yoruba tax payers whose taxes and levies form part of the
money the would-be political officeholders are meant to appropriate would
end up disenfranchised and forced never to have a say on who makes the
appropriations on their behalf.
“We believe that the true Yoruba people are hospitable and the activities
of selfish politicians and their irrational thugs must not be allowed to
paint a different picture of the race.
“It is well known that the political elites have continued to deepen
divisions within and among ethnic nationalities in Nigeria, using
ethnicity and religion as their tools. This is why the federal government
and all security agencies must be alive to their responsibilities and give
special protection of lives and property of non-Yoruba residents in Lagos
State and other South West states.
“We urge all citizens across the country, particularly in the South West
to be resolute and refuse to be deterred by a few unscrupulous elements
and go out enmasse to exercise their civic responsibility of electing the
leaders of their choice on Saturday, March 9, 2019”, the SERG concluded.