SEGUN BABATUNDE, Gombe
Gombe State chapter of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has lamented the increasing spate of political violence in Gombe State, warning that it could spell doom for the 2023 elections.
Gombe State Coordinator of the CNG, Comrade Muhammad Ibrahim, expressed the concerns of the group in a statement made available to journalists in Gombe with a call for patriotism from political actors.
The coalition noted with “utter dismay” the seeming consistency in the occurrence of political violence, which has so far claimed some lives and properties.
It said an instance still fresh in the minds of the people of the state was the clash in November, 2021, between two political factions in Gombe town, which resulted in the loss of lives and properties.
“We want to note that those who were casualties in the incident were 100 per cent youths. Again, this year on 22nd January, 2022, a similar incident happened in Funakaye Local Government Area, where there was an attack that resulted in the destruction of properties between two major political parties in the state, that is, the APC and PDP,” it lamented.
The Coalition condemned the act and its perpetrators, saying, ” We also want to call on the government, the security agencies and all stakeholders to bring to an end these consistent political violence that is gradually ravaging the state at the moment.
The statement added, “We wish to call on the youths of Gombe State to shun all kinds of political violence and avoid being used by political parties and politicians as political thugs and machineries for political ambition, which is more or less selfish and not in anyway to the youth’s interest or for the good of the masses.
” Lastly, we want to call on all political parties to adhere to the constitution to be patriotic and to avoid engaging in political violence or use of the youths for their own political ambition.”