The presidential campaign
organisation of the All Progressives Congress has reported the wife of
President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, to the International Criminal
Court.
Two weeks ago, Patience had, while
campaigning for her husband in Calabar, Cross River State, told the
supporters of the PDP to stone anyone canvassing for change in the
state.
The campaign organisation said the
letter of complaint was signed by its Director-General, Mr. Rotimi
Amaechi, who is the Governor of River State.
It said that the letter would be
delivered to ICC on Monday (today), adding that the Inspector General of
Police, Suleiman Abba, and the National Human Rights Commission would
also be sent copies of the letter.
“Change, as the entire country knows by
now, is the slogan of the APC – the rallying cry of a political party
that wishes to bring hope of greater and better things to come for
Nigeria and Nigerians.
“By her statement, Mrs. Jonathan was
clearly calling on the PDP supporters in Calabar to attack supporters
and campaigners of the APC in the state,” it said.
The campaign organisation likened some
of Patient’s statements to those of Simone, the wife of a former
President of Cote d’Ivoire, Laurent Gbagbo, prior to the francophone
country’s 2010 elections.
The ICC indicted Mrs. Gbagbo for her
part in planning to perpetrate brutal attacks, including murder, rape,
and sexual violence, on her husband’s political opponents in the wake of
the 2010 elections.
“Mrs. Jonathan does not occupy any
formal office in the Nigerian government as the position of the First
Lady is not recognised by the Nigerian constitution.
“But Mrs. Gbagbo’s case shows the ICC’s
awareness of how someone beyond formal governmental and military
hierarchies can be identified as responsible for serious international
crimes.
“Patience Jonathan’s incontrovertible
hate speech not only contravened the laws of the land, but also went
completely against the Abuja peace accord jointly signed by the two
presidential candidates, Muhammadu Buhari and President Goodluck
Jonathan – a gesture which is aimed at forestalling violence before,
during and after the 2015 elections.
“The PDP supporters in the state, who
may not know better, could easily yield themselves to the First Lady’s
admonition and embark on a process of wanton stoning and other attacks
against the APC members.”
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