By Itopa Yusuf.
Few days from now, presidential polls will hold throughout the length and breadth of the country. As a result of its myriad social, political and political essences to the country the coming presidential elections is expected by all and sundry to hold in a most decent and peaceful atmosphere.
Therefore, as the country inches fast towards voting exercises, both the partisan and the apolitical individuals in many states, cities, towns and villages are working assiduously to ensure that peace and decorum pervade the imminent polls especially in places where apprehensions obviously seize the air.
One of such towns which inhabitants fear has become a veritable trouble spot for the elections because of recent crises that rocked it to its very foundation is Ihima in Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State. At the calm of the pulled triggers, stone throwing and the blowing fists some property and two precious lives were lost; Enesi Ojo and Mohammed Ozomata died in the fracas.
The crisis reared its ugly head between the supporters of Mr Oseni Yakubu as the Kogi State Central Senatorial District Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and his arch rival Barr. Natasha Akpoti of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Knowing that to be forewarned is to be forearmed, the National President of Ihima Welfare Association (IWA), Mr Joseph Anivasa recently called a meeting of Ihima stakeholders at Ihima Community Science Secondary Science. The meeting boasted of many illustrious sons, daughters and party leaders of the town.
And the message is clear and simple. The forthcoming election should be held without raising a single grain of dust. Violence of whatever hue must not peep into the electoral space of Ihima on the election day. Ihima is one indivisible family in whose wall should not crack to allow external and crisis inciting lizards, geckos and cockroaches inhabit. Elections shall come and go. But Ihima will remain glued to her eternal plinth waving her flag of pride.
Addressing the peace-seekers, Anivasa said among other things that: “ We deemed this meeting necessary given the recent sad political crisis in which we lost property and precious lives. We want to appeal to Ihima politicians to eschew any form of violence in the election. We should not always be in the news for negative things,” he warned.
Buttressing the point made by the IWA boss, the veteran Ihima peace maker Pa Isaac Jegede said he wondered why Ihima was chosen by politicians as their battle ground, saying if it was a crime to contest on the platforms of other parties apart from just one, he said he was very sure that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would have just registered one political party for the country.
“We are not the only place in Ebira whose daughter like Natasha Akpoti is exercising her inalienable right to contest election . I really wonder why politicians have decided to turn Ihima to theatre of war,” he expressed.
At the meeting were three of the Okehi Local Government Party Chairmen. Hon Adinoyi Aroke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was present. Nuhu Jatto honoured the IWA call on behalf of his All Progressives Congress (APC). The Social Democratic Party (SDP) boss, Shegun Ajayi spoke for his party sole sponsor, catalyst and candidate, Natasha Akpoti.
Argument ensued among the three party bosses. PDP described self as party of innocents. SDP said its harmlessness was seen by the deaf and heard by the blind across the land. They both accused APC of visiting unnecessary mayhem on them using their access to instrument of coercion and violence as the party in power.
Expectedly, Mr Jatto rose to stoutly defend his party. He took exception to the accusation he described as slanderous and libelous. Accusation countered accusation. Black male mangled black male and points pummelled points. And reason ruptured reason. Trust politicians.
The house was unanimous that politicians should allow peace to reign supreme in the coming election. Political players were reprimanded even as they were counselled place personal interest below that of the collective interest of Ihima when the elections holds.
Aside politicians, the National Vice President of the IWA Mall. Abubakar of the National Examinations Council (NECO), Lokoja, admonished political thugs who he lamented mortgaged their lives as willing tools in the hands of politicians to commit heinous crime of killing and property destruction in the name of satisfying the savage interest of their paymasters who educated and kept their own children in saner clime abroad.
“My only and simple advice to the thugs is that they should not forget the time- honoured biblical injunction which counselled us that he who kills by the sword shall die by the sword. In fact, IWA is by this meeting trying to save their lives. They should better heed to wise counsel if they want to live and end well,” he warned.
In his Royal admonition, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Abdulraheem Ahmed Ogido, Ohi of Ihima and Chairman Okehi Area Traditional Council called on all stakeholders especially political actors to work hard to ensure peaceful atmosphere throughout the duration of the elections, just as he cautioned that Ihima is the only home that we have and we owe it a duty to work for its progress irrespective of political leanings.
On a final note, he counselled that the signed peace pact should be religiously adhered to.
All said, the political parties have agreed with the Ihima Welfare helmsmen that peace will be maintained in the elections. They equally mandated the group to sanction defaulters of the agreement and as well hand over any person or persons who perpetuated thuggery and any other form of violence in the coming elections to the law enforcement agent for punitive measures.
To formalise the peace accord the stake holders appended their signatures to the truce document. May our words remain our bond . May we never renege on our convent that we make with God and man.
