The Young Progressives Party has condemned the recent “body bag” comment made by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, on national television.
The party’s position was contained in a statement on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Egbeola Olawale Martins.
The party believes that “El-Rufai’s careless statement was not made in error but an expression borne out of desperation having gauged the mood of the nation that the ruling party will be voted out by Nigerians come February 16, 2019.”
The party said it was not surprised “that such a statement is coming from a man reputed for presiding over a State with the highest level of violence not caused by terrorism but fuelled by ethno-religious hate.”
The statement also condemned what it described as “tacit endorsement of his unguarded statement by the Presidency, which only goes to show the hypocrisy of the All Progressives Congress-led government professing to campaign against hate speech on one hand but supporting same when it is convenient.”
The party also further went on to “call on the international observers not to be deterred by the empty noise of a sinking man who is only a puppet of a sinking party destined to incur the wrath of Nigerians for their four years of misgovernance”, advising: “The international community should, through this latest threat, narrow their search light on El-Rufai and his goons in the ruling party and hold them responsible should there be violence after the forthcoming general elections as the ambition of some few desperate selfish individuals is not worth the life of a single Nigerian.
“Nigerians should remain calm, peaceful and resolute in making sure that never again does a party like the APC with so much venom get to the corridors of power starting with a protest vote come February 16, 2019.”
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