Dan masanin Kano and elder statesman, Dr. Maitama Sule, on Thursday, expressed optimism that a violence-free 2015 general election in Nigeria is possible, stressing that youth involvement will go a long way in achieving such.
Deadly election-related violence, which occurred in northern Nigeria following the April 2011 presidential election left no fewer than 300 people dead in three days of protests in 12 northern states.
The elder statesman, who made the appeal during the October lecture of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) in Abuja on Thursday, said engaging the youths as thugs undermines the essence of democracy.
He, therefore, advised them to shun acts of thuggery in the forthcoming 2015 general elections.
He also appealed to youths to avoid activities that would incite violence, but should rather channel their energies into profitable ventures.
Speaking further, Maitama Sule also stressed the importance of learning and understanding one another before we can come together. “Let us start from the known to the unknown, from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Nigeria has an important role to play in the politics of African continent”, he said.
The supervising minister of information, Dr Nurudeen Mohammed, represented by Alhaji Garuba Bello, said the lecture presented an opportunity to examine gains of the transformation agenda.
“There is no better day than today to choose to re-emphasize on the transformation agenda”, he said.
