Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Maj. Gen.Muhammadu Buhari (retd), has urged his supporters to shun violence and all acts capable of tarnishing the party’s image.
He gave the charge while inaugurating the party’s national campaign headquarters as well as the presidential campaign council in Abuja, on Monday.
The Director, Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, had, in a statement on Sunday, accused the APC candidate of making inciting comments to prepare grounds for a repeat of the 2011 post-election violence.
Buhari, who used the inauguration to express gratitude to the leaders of the party as well as those who contested against him during the party primaries, warned his supporters against taking the laws into their hands.
Quoting from an earlier appeal to his supporters, the former head of state, however, urged them to be vigilant before, during and after the elections.
He said, “In particular, you must learn to be vigilant especially just before, during and immediately after elections, whether elections are rigged or not.
“This is necessary so that sponsored hoodlums do not have chance to commit illegalities and in the end, members of the group are blamed.
“Not only must you not take the law into your hands no matter the level of provocation, you must be able to expose those planning to do so before the act.
“My supporters must not engage in any kind of behaviour or conduct that will tarnish the image of any leader or promote division and rancour within the ranks of the party. Whoever does that should know that he or she is working for the enemy”.
Buhari singled out the interim national chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande and former Lagos governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for praise, following the success of the merger of opposition political parties and the party’s presidential primaries.
Buhari noted that the APC owes everything to the “tact and wisdom” of Akande.
