The reports trending on social media and within the circle of members of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) in Rivers State about a planned attack of Corpers in Tai Local Government Area by ‘thugs of the PDP’ are unfounded and contrived by mischief-makers and enemies of democracy conglomerated in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to scare corpers from participating in the rescheduled court-ordered rerun elections in Tai Local Government Area.
In the aborted rerun elections in Tai Local Government Area on Saturday March 19, 2015, the entire country and, indeed, the global community was inundated by the compelling profusion of violence orchestrated by the hands of the APC.
This rumour of a planned attack of Youth Corpers is wishful propaganda. The PDP is not a violent political party. Rather, it is the APC that is the product violence being an amalgam of vicious legacy units, one of which commandeered the slaughtering of Youth Corpers in the North. The PDP is a political party of peace and unity; one that believes in democracy and the comprehensive development of Nigeria. The party has shown this in many ways, especially by conceding defeat to the APC, which continues to lurk in the dark, groping embarrassingly for direction on national governance and cohesion.
There is no iota of truth in the rumours. It is worthy of note, and indeed on record even within security circles, that the PDP was not the aggressor or instigator of violence in any part of Rivers State in the just concluded rerun elections and never has it been. Besides, why should the winners in an election be the ones to attack electoral officers. It makes no sense.
We therefore call on all Corpers to discountenance the unfounded rumours and brace up with courage to defy the enemies of democracy in Nigeria by standing their ground and delivering on the call to national service and nation building.
Times like these, are the precious moments in which society is advanced along sustainable paths of growth and development. Nigeria’s democracy, now at risk by pervading fundamentalists, will only be saved by Nigerians if they choose to defy the odds. As such, it is a clarion call to all. The sanctity of the ballot must be respected. Votes and dialogues, rather bullet and violence, drive the engine of sustainable societies. Nigeria will be no different because we will not give up on her.
The Nigerian Police, the Rivers State Government, the people of the State and the PDP, in particular, will stand by Corpers to defend them as they do their jobs. We call on the APC to shed its toga of violence and collaborate with stakeholders and the PDP in keeping the peace and building our nation.
No nation is built by unending violence and propaganda. It is time for Nigeria to blossom. APC must allow Nigeria grow.
God bless Nigeria.
Oraye St. Franklyn
Senior Special Assistant to Rivers State Governor (Social Media)
