The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign
Organisation (APCPCO) will on Monday file a formal complaint against
First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, for purportedly calling on Peoples
Democratic Party supporters to “stone” anyone who come to the state asking for change.
The letter of complaint signed by Rivers State Governor and Director
General of APCPCO, Rotimi Amaechi, will be dispatched to the
International Criminal Court (ICC), the Inspector General of the Nigeria
Police (IG) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), among
others.
According to Governor Amaechi, “Change,
as the entire country must know by now, is the slogan of the APC – the
rallying cry of a political party that wishes to bring hope of greater
and better things to come for Nigeria and Nigerians. By her statement,
Mrs. Jonathan was clearly calling on PDP supporters in Calabar to attack
supporters and campaigners of the APC in the state.”
The
APCPCO in a statement by its Director of Publicity Garba Shehu likened
some of Mrs. Jonathan’s statements and conduct during this political
campaign season, to those of Mrs Simone Gbagbo, wife of the former
president of Cote D’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, prior to that country’s 2010
election.
“Mrs. Jonathan does not occupy any formal office
in the Nigerian government, as the position of First Lady is not
recognized by the Nigerian constitution. But Mrs. Gbagbo’s case shows
the ICC’s awareness of how someone beyond formal governmental and
military hierarchies can be identified as responsible for serious
international crimes.”
The APCPCO pointed out that Mrs.
Jonathan’s unquestionable hate speech not only contravenes the laws of
the land, but also goes completely against the Abuja Peace Accord
jointly signed by the two presidential candidates, General Muhammadu
Buhari and President Goodluck Jonathan – a gesture which is aimed at
forestalling violence before, during and after the 2015 elections.
“PDP
supporters in the state who may not know better could easily yield
themselves to the First Lady’s admonition and embark on a process of
wanton stoning and other attacks against APC members,” Governor Amaechi said.
The APCPCO also called on the Nigeria Police to put in place emergency
measures to protect the life and property of APC members in Calabar and
the entire Cross River State.
Patience Jonathan has recently mocked the APC’s slogan saying that the PDP does not tell Nigerians about change because they are not bus conductors.
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