Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the auspices of Citizens for Development and Education (CDE) and the Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice (CEPEJ) have warned political and religious leaders against utterances and unguarded statements capable of replicating Rwanda experience in Nigeria.

CDE and CEPEJ Executive Directors, Amb. Ibrahim Waiya and Comrade Mulade Sheriff gave this warning respectively on Wednesday in Abuja, while giving State of the Nation in view of the recently concluded general elections and divergent opinions arising from the polls.

Speaking, Sheriff, who condemned all advocacies for the establishment of an interim Government in Nigeria, warned Nigerians not to fall into a trap of any sentiments to serve the interest of any desperate and greedy political leaders.

He said: “We condemn all utterances and unguarded statements promoted directly or through proxy by any politician or religious leader along ethnic, regional or religious sentiment capable of inciting violence in Nigeria, especially at this critical period of our democratic transition.

“All media organizations should further exercise restraint in the interest of peace and national unity on all broadcasts that may create confusion and or aggravate our fragile security situation, by x – raying all content before airing to avoid the Rwanda experience in Nigeria.

“Nigerians should not fall into a trap of any sentiments to serve the interest of any desperate and greedy political leaders.”

The sheriff urged all aggrieved politicians who are not satisfied with the conduct of the general election to stick to the legal process for redress as provided by the nation’s legal system and called on political actors to desist from threatening, intimidating and discrediting the same system they are seeking to serve.

He further called on international organizations and communities to exercise restraint in submitting to the sentiments of some politicians, who are hell-bent on destabilizing the country, stressing that Nigeria direly needs the support of its friends at this critical time of transition, to salvage its nascent democracy in the interest of Africa’s stability and the world at large.

Sheriff also urged and advise the incoming administration to run an all-inclusive government to give a sense of belonging to every region irrespective of ethnic, religious and political affiliations.

He stated further: “It is no doubt that Nigeria is now confronted with another face of historic challenges, which are mostly connected with the outcome of the recently concluded 2023 General Elections in the country.

“It is however traditional in every elections seasons in a practising democracy to have such discontent or dissatisfaction.

“The reactions are usually the reflections of frustrations and disappointment hitting the anticipated defeat in the race that was keenly contested to acquire an elective position.

“Although these kinds of challenges are not only peculiar to Nigeria, as many countries do face similar challenges or even worse than that, from one election season to another, and yet they bury their political dissatisfaction in the overall and collective interest of the country.”

Adding: “Unfortunately to mention, the reactions on the outcome of the presidential elections in Nigeria, is taking some strange dimensions, as we have recognized the conspiracy of some evilly minded and selfish people, had since shown the level of their political desperation, and have since started submitting themselves to the dictates of some hidden interest, to destabilize the country.

“Let me reiterate here that, Nigeria is yet in another trying time. Tensions are rising and heating up the polity.

“Transitional general elections such as the recently concluded general elections usually pose new challenges that a country and its leaders are compelled to deal with.

“It is part of the conventions of politics and elections, to have disappointments and that cannot be avoided. And although statements and comments around allegations are natural products of the outcome of elections, because things did not go the way one or some groups had hoped and planned for.

“Although it is natural for people to have their own expectations in a particular election, however, that should not be a reason to take away our sense of maturity, reasoning and judgment to think of what is right or wrong, especially at larger perspectives where the lives of many innocent citizens may be at stake.”

“It could be reminded that the conduct of elections in Nigeria which is more or a little less of staging war, usually involves a number of practical interventions both official and unofficial, all geared towards peaceful conduct of the elections to ensure a rancour and hitch-free electioneering processes, such as the signing of the peace accord for all prospective candidates seeking for elective position in Nigeria, especially at the level of Presidential and Governorship positions.

“This ritual which was introduced in 2011 and wonderfully worked in helping the system to go smoothly, till the inauguration of the new Government.”

He said that some of the notable interventions or strategies institutionalized in Nigeria in salvaging the country, from the imminent dangers of destabilization, later became unofficially institutionalized to form part of our electoral processes.

“And the simple justification for this assertion was, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the leading Nigerian electoral umpire, has religiously recognized the practice and has been in full support of the protocol since its introduction by the National Peace Committee.

“Similarly, the Nigerian security Agencies led by the Nigeria Police has equally recognized the process at both the National and State level. At some point, the security agencies help in compliance with the accord signing.

“One of the leading doctrines contained in the peace accord signing is the commitment of all the signatories to accept the outcome of the elections results in good faith, and in the event of dissatisfaction, such candidate shall not resort to violence directly or indirectly, by himself or through his agents to do anything that would destabilize the polity or cause anything that may hamper on the unity and peaceful co-existence of the citizens.

“Above all, we should always remember that Nigeria is a sovereign State, and this status has accorded the country the rights to enjoy certain privileges as an independent entity.”

Adding: “Some of such rights include the right to manage its own affairs without any interference from any other country. Therefore, as representatives of non-partisan civil society organizations across the six geo-political zones in the country, who have worked for years in the promotion of democracy, peace and development, we are worried with the unfolding political happenings in the country, through the actions and inactions of some politicians.

“It is our belief that this unhealthy development if allowed to continue would surely harm the sustainability of the Nigerian Democracy, and peaceful co-existence, and therefore resolved to rise up to the occasion by countering these scripted campaigns to destabilize the country, through the constructive engagement of Nigerians to rescue our dear country, before it is ditched into a crisis that may consume us.

“Similarly, the centre of our increased concerns on the continuous promotion of incitement and an uncomplimentary statement from the quarters of the aggrieved politicians, and other enemies of our country who have also systematically taken cover under the pretext of the conduct of elections to cause chaos and disharmony amongst the Nigerian citizens.

“This situation, therefore, calls for concerted efforts to contain the boiling anger of some Nigerians, whose expectations turned out to be negative.

“The negativity that is on trial, needs nothing less than a holistic healing of the wound and reconciliation, to salvage and secure our country from the imminent threat of disunity and disharmony.

“We have a collective responsibility to own our country and ensure its healthy survival to guarantee our continuous growth and prosperity, hence the resolution of over 50 organizations that are working on peace promotion to establish a National Independent Unity and Reconciliation Committee, to secure our nascent democracy.”