Founder of the O’dua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr. Fredrick Fasehun, on Thursday warned politicians, who are already spoiling for a show down during the 2015 general elections in the country, to stay away from the South-West or risk never going back from the region.
Fasehun stated this in Ondo town during a parley with newsmen after he bagged an award of excellence at the 10th anniversary celebration of the Federation of Ondo Ekimogun Students Union.
He said, “We swore to preserve the peaceful atmosphere in the South-West. We have been doing it for years and I thank God no insurgency is here, no crisis here, no assassination and no kidnapping. We thank God.
“I am not saying this is achieved due to the presence of OPC in the South-West but with the grace of God, and I pray that the peaceful atmosphere we enjoy in this part of the country will be sustained.
“OPC is determined to maintain peace. Politics does not embrace violence. I think Nigerians have realised that we can play politics without violence. But we are warning the politicians to please allow peace to reign.
“If anyone attempts to throw the country into crisis, we will wade in to confront such a person. So, we will not encourage violence but if anyone tries to import violence into this part of the country, we will not keep quiet or fold our arms. It will be violence for violence. So, the politicians are being warned.”
The OPC leader maintained that the current insecurity in the northern part of the country was instigated by politicians.
He added, “It is the politicians that are causing insecurity. Politics does not necessarily elevate violence. I hope you remember that in 2011, somebody came up and said, if President Goodluck Jonathan won the election, he would make the country ungovernable for him.
“We have warned those foot soldiers of autocracy that they can do whatever they like in their own part of the country but they should not bring violence into the South-West. If they bring violence into the South-West not many of them will go back from the region.”
