Ambassador Arrion michel (l) and his Deputy, Richard Young, at the EU briefing in Abuja on Thursday
European Union ambassador, Michel Arrion publicly condemned the speech during the EU briefing that took place in Abuja yesterday, NAN reports.
He called on political actors in the country to desist from using hate speeches and shun violence.
“Unfortunately, we all fear some
electoral violence; we really insist that it is a duty for all players
and all stakeholders of the political bodies, the government and the
media to really make sure that violence is not used, that hate speech is
avoided.
“I will not hide what I read today in
the press. If really the speech delivered in Hausa by the Governor of
Katsina (Ibrahim Shema) is real and confirmed, I would say it is the
beginning of something that is a serious source of concern for us.
“He’s quoted as having said: “you
should not be bothered with cockroaches of politics. What do you do when
you have a cockroach in your house? and the crowd respond `you kill it,
yes, you must crush them.
“Those kinds of statement are extremely dangerous and not acceptable.
“I’m not sure people using that kind of
language realise what it means and I want to be really clear on that, we
have to be careful and there is no good reason whatsoever to call
someone a ‘cockroach.'”
Recalling the 1994 genocide in Rwanda,
the EU representative said that such hate speeches instigated acts of
violence that could hamper the development process of any nation.
Arrion confirmed that an EU election observer mission to Nigeria
would be in the country, on a “long-term basis” from December till April
to observe the election process.
He said the observation team would be sent to the six geopolitical
zones in the country to monitor the credibility of the elections and
also observe the post-election process.
In a separate statement, the United
States expressed concerns over what it described as “violent political
rhetoric” and reiterated the need for stakeholders to promote a peaceful
election environment.
The statement, which was made available
by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, specifically condemned the statement made
by the Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State.
It said: “The threat rhetorical threat
of violence undermines the democratic process and is utterly
unacceptable in a democratic society.
“The United States reiterates its call
upon all Nigerians to refrain from advocating, fomenting, or condoning
violence before, during, or after the elections.
“Participants in the electoral process
must demonstrate passion for their convictions and beliefs in a manner
that shows respect for opposing differences.”
Photo Credit: NAN-PHOTO
