BY GABRIEL EWEPU

ABUJA—The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, yesterday urged politicians and Nigerians to eschew all forms of violence in 2014, in order for the nation to be at peace and a secured place for both Nigerians and foreigners alike.

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In a statement by the party’s National Director of Publicity, Ifeanacho Oguejiofor, APGA stated that political parties and politicians should come up with positive ideologies and alternative policies that could move the nation forward, and also separate themselves from negative interests capable of derailing the polity.

The party urged Nigerians to be patriotic and committed to nation building in 2014, instead of being used by selfish politicians to overheat the polity while seeking political relevance.

It enjoined Nigerians to be selfless in 2014 through hard work and determination to develop the nation’s democratic tenets.

The statement reads in part:   “The All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, wishes her Party members and all Nigerians, a peaceful, remarkable, prosperous and outstanding 2014.

“The party urges all Nigerians to work assiduously and selflessly in this New Year with every sense of purpose, for the good, progress, oneness and betterment of Nigeria.

“It implores all Nigerians to eschew all negative tendencies and acts capable of derailing the country’s search for a road map to a genuine and sustainable nationhood, her plan for appreciable and uncommon transformation, and march towards real greatness among comity of nations.

“It exhorts every Nigerian to work in unison towards making Nigeria a peaceful and decent society; where people will choose to live in any part of the country without  victimisation and feel at home, a pride of place where non-Nigerians will love to visit and be relaxed in, a destination haven for both the local and international businessmen and investors.”

“Meanwhile, APGA wants Nigerian Politicians to understand that democracy is not a destination point, but a work in progress, hence, they are expected to be disposed to imbibe the basic tenets of democracy and to always manifest same, to generally develop the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship, to ultimately learn to accept an outcome of a free, fair and credible electoral contest, especially in defeat.

“More so, to learn to always engage in the campaign of ideas, issues, better alternative policies  and the way forward for Nigeria, rather than that of calumny, deception and threats, in order to acquire political power by all means.

“More still, APGA admonishes politicians to learn to always separate their selfish interests from the national interest, for the utmost good of all Nigerians.

“APGA prays for the New Year to be a year that those in authority will muster the needed courage, exhibit the political will and make concerted effort to right the wrongs of our indignant ugly past, which have being haunting us and holding  Nigeria and her citizens down for long.”

The party also in the statement commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on the recent Anambra governorship election for the achievement recorded by the commission.

It, however, urged the commission to carry out proper evaluation of any election to be conducted in the future, as Nigerians’ expectation for the 2015 elections were great.

“APGA commends the Independent National Electoral Commission ,INEC, for conducting free, fair, and credible governorship election in Anambra State last year.

“The Party advises the Commission to always critically evaluate every election after being conducted, in order to address all established lapses and improve on them in subsequent elections, bearing in mind that the expectations of Nigerians from INEC under the present leadership of Prof Attahiru Jega, is enormous, especially  as it prepares for the 2015 polls,” the party added.