Election: Group Seeks FG’s Intervention in Imminent Violence

March 24, 2015 – Less than four days to the general elections, a religious organization under the aegis of Stefanos Foundation has cautioned against outbreak of post-election violence in some parts of the country but warned that the incidence of 2011 must not be repeated.

The Coordinator of SF, Mr. Mark Lipdo, expressed the concern in Abuja during a workshop for northerners with the theme: “Building synergy to protect lives and property in our communities’.

The workshop was put together by the foundation in conjunction with Minority Interests Rights Project.

According to him, there had been apprehension among the people at the grassroots against the possible eruption of violence.

He therefore called on the Federal Government to quickly move in to douse the tension. Stefanos Foundation, is a Faith-based human rights advocacy, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction organization, working with ethnic minorities in Nigeria to help promote principles and policies of governments aimed at upholding fundamental human rights.

Lipdo stressed that based on engagement with the people at the grassroots, as the election drew nearer, there are concern about the safety of their lives and properties.

“It is seven days now to election and we are concerned about the safety of our people. We are not just concerned, our ears are on ground and the people at the grassroots, having worked with them for over 10 years, are feeling that they have a plight and their voices need to be heard.

“They are concerned about their safety and the safety of their properties. And I believe to have a successful election, we need to address some of these concerns, to assure them there won’t be a repeat of the 2011 post-election violence.”

As part of the strategies to promote peaceful coexistence in the country, Lipdo advocated a return to history, to investigate the remote and the immediate causes of disaffection with a view to addressing them.

While commending the Federal Government for stepping up the fight against Boko Haram insurgence in recent times, he maintained that studies had shown that insecurity in the country was beyond the issue of insurgency.

“We acknowledge what government is doing to contain Boko Haram. The Federal Government has put in quite a lot to help reclaim some of the towns and cities but as far as we know our studies in 2011 was not about Boko Haram alone, it was insecurity in all the states that evolved overtime just because there was an election and people were venting their anger.

“This is why our leaders need to go back to the drawing board, we need to tell ourselves the truth, Is it the political atmosphere that brings about violence, if it is then how and why? Is it religious atmosphere or religious interest that brings about violence in our society. It is when we are able to convincingly unravel all these that we can guide against eruption of violence in our country.”