NATIONAL Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu has called for caution against misinterpretations of President Muhammadu Buhari’s position that security agencies have been tasked to be ruthless against anyone who snatches ballot boxes or disrupts the voting process.
Tinubu who spoke with journalists after Monday’s APC caucus meeting held in Abuja warned against interpretations that Buhari’s in stating that those who snatch ballot boxes were at risk of their own lives meant that he did not value human lives and the rule of law.
He argued that Buhari was a law-abiding person and never used the words, “Shoot on sight” or “Execute summarily” but only reinforced the fact that snatching ballot boxes would not be tolerated.
Pointing to the fact that Buhari had been fighting Boko Haram, kidnapping and other crimes over the years, Tinubu questioned whether Buhari had ever been heard to ask that such perpetrators be shot or executed summarily.“I was in that meeting; the president was just reinforcing the fact that if you are out there snatching ballot boxes, and causing destruction, you are at risk of your own life. Whatever happens to you, no president will give an order that his own citizens be shot summarily, No! No, it’s okay, emotions are running high these days. Any individual including myself can be misinterpreted.
“Shoot on sight are not his words; he is a law-abiding person and he understands categorically and clearly what the rule of law is and the lives of individual citizens, he knows that he is in that office to protect.
“Now, let me say this: he has been fighting Boko Haram, kidnappers and all that before this election, did you hear him asking them to be shot and executed summarily?
If he has gone through that in the last five years, please give him the benefit of the doubt.” Tinubu said.
On election postponement, Tinubu argued that in line with the Electoral Act, parties should be allowed to continue campaigns till 24 hours before the new election date of February 23.
Tinubu maintained that parties could not afford to remain dormant for days before February 23, hence had to resume campaigns and energise their party faithful and supporters.
“By law, we should continue to energise our people. It depends on our resources. The Electoral Act allows us to continue to campaign and ask us to stop campaigning only 24 hours before the actual election. And once INEC changed the election date to Feb. 23, they have given us the opening to campaign and energise our people. If you have a garden and you don’t nourish it with water, the grass will remain dormant. We don’t want our party to remain dormant.
“This is the ability of leadership to convert adversity to opportunity and prosperity and that’s it; that’s what we must do.
“The INEC, under the law, is empowered to postpone, cancel and do whatever is necessary to ensure a free and fair election. No party other INEC has this power. We can express our anger and disappointment, but no party can reverse what has been done. So, we are ready for Feb 23,” Tinubu added.
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