2019: ‘Political sacrilege’ to campaign for Buhari while Nigerians are being killed- Sen Sani

The senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has berated those campaigning for President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 election bid at a time when the country was experiencing killings especially tied to the herdsmen crisis, terming it “political sacrilege”.

Sani urged Buhari to set aside all talks of re-election and focus instead on finding a lasting solution to the insecurity in the country.

Sani’s statement followed reports that seven northern All Progressives Congress (APC) governors who visited President Buhari on Friday had urged him to run. The governors are from Kaduna, Yobe, Kogi, Niger, Plateau, Adamawa and Kano states.

In a statement released on Friday, he said, “It is wrong to be talking of the re-election of Buhari as President when hundreds of lives are being lost and people are being massacred in different parts of the country.

“In time of bloodshed like this, the issue should be how to come together and address the problem. But those marketing the President at a time of this bloodshed are like people dancing on the graves of Nigerians.

Read also: HERDSMEN CRISIS: Media, public commentators worsening the situation- FG

“Campaigning for Buhari for next year’s election when people are being killed, when orphans and widows are being produced as a result of the tragedy of these circumstances and people are being kidnapped, I think amounts to political sacrilege.

“It is an insult on the conscience of Nigerians and it is an insult on the moral integrity of Nigerians for anybody to ignore what is happening and simply walk to the President and tell him that what is important at this material time is his re-election campaign for next year’s election.

“If we allow this trend to continue, it would threaten the peace and unity of this country.

“I advise people advising the President and strategising for him to contest the elections to spare him some time, advise him well and provide a solid strategy to end the carnage and atrocities that is going on in the country today.

“Human life is more important than politics, because you cannot preside over dead people. The images we see in both social and traditional media is heart-rending and despicable.

“I can tell you that over a year ago, the President was in Zamfara State in military fatigue to address the problem of banditry and mass killing. The President should be seen in any part of the country where such violence occurs.

“The President must visit Southern Kaduna, Birnin Gwari, Taraba, Benue, Rivers and Adamawa states. It gives people some hope that their Commander-in-Chief is determined and committed to defend and protect them”.

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