US CONDEMNS ‘RIG AND ROAST’ CALL BY POLITICIANS

United States Government has condemned what it described as inciting messages to violence by some political leaders in Nigeria, as the people prepare to vote in the June 21 and August 9 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
This is just as the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, Senator Ben Obi, said President Goodluck Jonathan will not interfere in the conduct of the elections. Speaking in Ado-Ekiti yesterday the United States’ Consular-General in Nigeria, Mr. Jeff Hawkins, stated this at a sensitisation workshop for Ekiti State political parties and stakeholders. Hawkins, in his goodwill message at the workshop, said it was worrisome that political leaders were sending the message of rig and roast as the elections approached, saying this would not augur well for peaceful conduct of the elections.
He said: “Rig and roast is not the kind of message Nigerian youths should be hearing from their leaders.” The US envoy contended that it was wrong for politicians to be sending messages of violence when elections were coming, saying in view of the violence that followed the 2011 elections in the country, message of peace was of utmost importance.
Source: New Telegraph