For those who want to kill themselves over politicians in Nigeria. The president and APC presidential candidate pictured hugging at the 2015 election sensitization workshop on non-violence in Abuja TODAY. Ahead of the February general elections, leaders of Nigeria’s major political parties and their presidential candidates on Wednesday signed an undertaking to avoid actions that could promote violence during and after the polls. At an event attended by former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Anan, and former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Emeka Anyaoku, seven presidential candidates including frontrunners, President Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, openly spoke against violence and committed to a peaceful poll.
Other political parties that signed the non-violence pact included the Action Alliance, AA, Alliance for Democracy, AD, United Democratic Party, UDP, United Progressive Party, UPP, African Democratic Congress, ADC, and Hope Democratic Party, HDP.
The event was a rare meeting Mr. Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Mr. Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, since public campaign for the crucial elections began with a flurry of attacks between the two sides.
The two men shook hands and embraced after delivering remarks renouncing violence.
Mr. Jonathan urged politicians to avoid actions and utterances capable of inflaming passion among the electorate.
The president said the country must avoid a repeat of the 2011 post-general elections which he said was adjudged the best in the country’s history.
He said the conduct of the election cannot be blamed for the outbreak of violence since he even lost in the states were clashes erupted leading to hundreds of deaths.
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