BY PHILIP NWOSU
The Envoys of Britain, United States, France and the European Union have called on leaders of political parties in Nigeria to abstain from violence and also not incite their members to violence during the parliamentary elections in Rivers State.
In joint statement on Friday, the British High commissioner to Nigeria Paul T. Arkwright, the United States Ambassador, W. Stuart Symington, the French Ambassador Denys Guaer and EU Head of Delegation Michel Arrion, urged all political parties to respect the electoral process and raise any grievances peacefully and through official channels.
The statement coming barely 24 hours after the Chairman of All Progressive Congress Chief John Oyegun advised members of his party to retaliate any action they got from loyalists of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the Rivers state’s senatorial rerun election.
The joint statement from the envoys read: “We note with concern the rising tension in Rivers state ahead of elections on 10 December. We call on the leadership of all political parties and their supporters in Rivers state to allow elections to go ahead peacefully.
We encourage INEC and the security forces to perform their duties responsibly and impartially. We urge all parties to respect the electoral process and raise any grievances peacefully and through official channels. We stress that the leaders of all parties are accountable for the actions of their members and we encourage them to urge their supporters not to use or incite violence.”