Election Violence: Taraba Council boss cautions youth against thuggery
Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
Following the rising cases of politically motivated unrest in Jalingo, the Taraba state capital and other parts of the state, the Care Taker Committee Chairman of Jalingo local government area Dr. Aminu Jauro Hassan has called on youths to restrain from been used by desperate politicians as thugs.
Hassan made the call on Saturday while chatting with Journalists in Jalingo ahead of next Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections across the country.
He insisted that with the current reforms in the electoral process as enshrined in the Electoral Act 2022, as amended, there was no need for any violence as the results of election can no longer be easily hijacked and manipulated as was the practice in the past.
“I must say that I am worried at the activities of some of our young people working for some political parties and politicians. It is absolutely needless to unleash mayhem on innocent people and steal from them in the name of playing politics. It is mere criminality and nothing else.
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“The era of using thugs to alter election results is over. The new electoral Act has taken care of that. So rather than recruit thugs to intimidate and stoke fear in the people, I will encourage politicians to use that energy and resources to campaign to the people and canvass for votes.
“I am particularly concerned that our youths still make themselves available to be used by political players only to be dumbed after elections. How many of them have access to the politicians after they assume office? It makes no sense to me. Instead, I will encourage young people to take their destiny into their hands, vote for the right people and ensure that their votes are well protected.
“We are working with security agencies already to ensure that anyone who decides to take the path of lawlessness is made to face the full wrath of the law without mercy.
“We have worked so hard to make Jalingo a very peaceful place for everyone to live and operate freely and we won’t have that compromised in the name of politics” Hassan said.
Hassan who urged politicians to be sportsmanly enough to play the game by its rules and to accept defeat as the ultimate test of popularity lies with the people’s acceptance, called on the people to come out and exercise their civic duty on election days with fear.
