Anyone Who Threatens Nigeria Should Be Arrested—Edwin Clark

Nigerian elder statesman Chief Edwin Clark has questioned the level of preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2015 national elections.


The former federal commissioner said that the INEC chairman, Attahiru Jega, needs to tell the nation the position of the commission so as to avoid a repeat of the 2011 elections when the INEC failed to provide election materials to some areas of the country.

Chief Edwin Clark

The Ijaw statesman also demanded the arrest of anyone who makes inciting statements that threaten the unity of the country.

Clark was speaking to journalists in Abuja, where he denied supporting the call for war should Jonathan fail to win.

On the issue of the INEC postponing the elections, he said: “Presidential election has been fixed for 14 February, I don’t want to comment on whether the election should be postponed or not. But what is more important, is INEC ready? That is the most important statement.

“You remember in 2011 when INEC messed us up in the election for National Assembly and it had to be postponed.

“If they are ready let them tell us. But if they are not ready, let Jega come out and tell Nigerians that they are not.

“If permanent voter cards (PVCs) that are to be used by those who are to vote and those cards have not been properly distributed and we have also seen a situation where these cards are not evenly distributed.”

He also talked about General Theophilus Danjuma’s call for the arrest of Asari Dakubo and Tompolo over their war threat.

He said, “Danjuma shouldn’t have directed his attention to the statement made by these people alone. Perhaps these young men were reacting to similar statements made by some people other leaders in the North.”

He revealed that this was not the first time the militants had made such a threat. He claimed that in 2013 he chided Asari Dokubo and Kingsley Kuku when they made similar statements.


He also said that people like Lawal Kaita and Adamu Ciroma also deserved Danjuma’s attention, less it would be assumed that he was not fair to the people of Niger Delta.

“I was not supportive of Asari Dokubo or Tompolo’s statement but I only want the condemnation to cut across as we have seen more grievous statements from people from the north and there was no reaction from respected leads from the region,” he said.

loading...