Post-election violence
Buhari blasts Jonathan
•Says President playing politics with national tragedy
From AIDOGHIE PAULINUS, Abuja
Friday, May 13, 2011


Presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari (Retd), yesterday blasted President Goodluck Jonathan for allegedly playing petty politics with the unfortunate disturbances in some parts of the country.

Speaking through his spokesman, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, the former Head of State said “The petty politics being played by President Goodluck Jonathan with the unfortunate disturbances following the massive rigging of the April 16, presidential election, shows the tragic incompetence that is governing Nigeria at its pathetic worst.”

Buhari also said that contrary to the vile propaganda by Jonathan that the CPC was justifying the unrest, “it is clear that he is the one who cannot rise beyond base politics when statesmanship is what is required.

“Beyond the twisted logic of the official bulletin of the ruling party, pretending to be news medium, there is nowhere anybody associated with us in any form has provided justification for the crisis in the manner a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor has done.“The only sour truth we have pointed out is that those who willfully violated the right of the people to freely choose their leaders are vicariously liable for the outrage of the mob.

“While we want justice for the people who lost their lives, we need to alert the whole world that the handling of this issue by President Jonathan is the worst form of mischief dance on the graves of the dead,” Buhari said. Buhari explained: “It is galling that a President who has not shaken off the allegation that he distributed dollars within Nigeria, will value a slain Corper who would have been a breadwinner for life for his family at a token of 5 million naira.“The motive behind this gesture could at best only be a photo-op with the families and not genuine concerns for the dead.

“The Federal Government by law, has no powers to investigate any disturbances outside the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as pronounced by the Supreme Court in Fawehinmi vs Babangida.“The 22-man panel set up by the President, is therefore a hollow ritual meant to just-play politics with a serious national tragedy.

“Ironically, Justice Samson Uwaifo, who has been made the Deputy chairman of this illegal panel, was on the Supreme Court panel that gave that decision. He presently chairs a lawful Truth Commission in Osun State as only states have such powers. Most of the terms of reference of this illegal panel are criminal investigations that cannot be tribunalized. The burning of houses is arson, while the killing of people is culpable homicide, which competent government should be filing charges against the suspects arrested, rather than embarking on a wild goose chase.”

He further said: “We have not forgotten that seven months after the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) claimed responsibility for the October 1, bombing in Abuja during which one family lost four children, the President, who absolved the Niger Delta terror-gang from culpability in a crime it owned up to, is yet to bring the culprits to book.“Were the Government to be genuine over its intention of even compensating those who lost their property, all it would have needed was advertising in newspapers for such victims to come forward with a verification panel to assess their claims and value genuine losses.”

“It has now been forced to eat its words and those of its many accomplices that the elections were free and fair with a self-shot at foot that six million under-age voters, voted for the CPC. This has further strengthened our position that the elections were not credible.“If indeed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and not the CPC allowed six million unqualified voters in one election, the electoral body has serious questions to answer and all elections conducted based on such a fraudulent N87 billion voters register should be nullified.”