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| Former Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar |
A former Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar, has said that the continued existence of Nigeria as a united and indivisible nation would be determined largely by the 2015 general elections.
He stated this at the 2nd edition of the Peoples Media Limited, PML, Conference, tagged “Nigeria, the 2015 Question,” in Abuja on Thursday.
PML is the publisher of the Peoples Daily Newspapers.
Mr. Abubakar, who was the chairman of the event, said while the north was pushing to have the presidential power back, the body language of President Goodluck Jonathan suggested he would want to have another term.
“As political animals that we are, nothing seems to have gripped our imagination of Nigerians as the issue of the coming 2015 general elections which in my view is a watershed moment in the history of our dear country,” he said.
“The way we are able to handle this very important event will largely determine how successful we will be in our efforts at remaining a united, indivisible and stable country.
“Already, the fault lines are apparent and politicians are ready to exploit them to the fullest to achieve their sometimes not so noble objectives. The 2015 elections are, among other things, expected to determine where power will reside.
“The North is determined to have it back and its leaders are pulling all the stops to see that that happens. On the other hand, the body language of the incumbent president strongly suggests he wants another term.”
Mr. Abubakar, a retired army general whose military administration midwifed the current political dispensation in 1999, said the unfolding scenario in the polity might portend a great danger to the country if Nigerians from all parts of the country did not close ranks and put the country’s interest first.
He said the experience of the 2011 post election violence was a reminder that election matters had become serious business that must be handled with utmost seriousness and patriotism in order to avoid a repeat.
The former head of state said he was, however, confident that the country could collectively rise above this challenge and deliver elections that not only Nigerians, but African and the rest of the world would be proud of.
“For this to happen, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has a key role to play in ensuring free and fair elections that express the will of the people,” he said.
Mr. Abubakar said he feels distressed when Nigeria failed to organise free and fairs elections, something crucial to sustaining a democratic culture.
He said, “As someone who had the honour to midwife our new democratic experiment back in 1999, I am sure Nigerians will appreciate why I am very passionate about elections.
“Free and fair elections are crucial to sustaining a democratic culture, hence my distress whenever we are unable to hold elections that can pass basic standards.”
The former head of state said, as an international elections observer, he had “monitored polls in less endowed countries that have managed to organise more credible elections and I am always left with the sad feeling that with our resources, we are unable to set an example for the rest of the world.”
He said if Nigerian would be able get the elections right they would be on their way to fully entrenching democratic values.
Culled from Premiumtimesng
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