The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned what it called ‘Gov Shema’s Inciting Speech’ prompting the party to write to the International Criminal Court, ICC, Hague.
In a statement issued today by its Publicity Secretary, Chris Finebone, the party drew attention to a speech by the Governor of Kastina state, Mr. Ibrahim Shema, in which he called on members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party PDP in the state to retaliate any attack by APC members.
Shema had told his party members that : “Anyone who does anything against you we’ll retaliate, am telling you now.
“Before now people from the opposition will humiliate us in the PDP and we will say don’t do anything about it but now I am telling you to fight back and quote me.”
The Kastina Governor’s speech made in Hausa is translated thus:
“If you look around, some states that I will not mention here, they keep making the headlines that PDP could not do this or that, but they should know Katsina state is PDP and we have done it.
“You should not be bothered with ‘cockroaches in politics. Cockroaches are only found in the toilet even at homes.
“If you see a cockroach in your house what do you do?
Crowd responds: “You kill it!” Gov. Shema agrees: “Crush them!
“Anyone who does anything against you we’ll retaliate, am telling you now.
“Before now people from the opposition will humiliate us in the PDP and we will say don’t do anything about it but now I am telling you to fight back and ‘quote me’
But, Rivers APC said the speech promotes hate and that it’s capable of promoting genocidal reactions.
“I would like to draw your attention to a developing situation in Nigeria as a result of the forthcoming general elections in 2015,” APC stated.
“As campaigns just opened on the 16th of November, 2014 it is frightening that some politicians have adopted tactics, language and styles similar to what gave rise to the sad situation now popularly known as the Rwandan Genocide Of 1994.
The party said it believes that it was for the good of human beings all over the world and with a view to preventing a repeat of such gory events that your great organisation exists for.
Adding that, the party will submit a more comprehensive report on the particular incident which the party attached herewith the Youtube video evidence for ICC evaluation.
“In the said video, the Governor of the state of Katsina in Northern Nigeria makes what in our judgment amounts to a highly inflammatory statement that has the potential to cause person-on-person violence along primordial lines.
“I do believe that you will respond to my email and advise on whether I could go on and bring forward a full report on the incident,” Finbone added.
The Youtube link is here: https://www.youtube.com/
