The Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation has said
that wife of President Goodluck Jonathan, Patience, will not appear
before the International Criminal Court.
It said there was no basis for her to be reported to the international court in the first place.
Patience was reported to have told supporters of the PDP at its rally in Cross River State to stone anyone who is canvassing for change in the state. “Change” is the slogan of the APC.
In its complaint to the ICC, the APC through its Director-General, Presidential Campaign Council, Rotimi Amaechi, who is also the Governor of Rivers State, said the wife of the President was calling on the supporters of the ruling party to attack those of the APC.
But the Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, reacting to the claim by the main opposition party, described Patience as a woman of peace, adding that her speech didn’t propel anyone to take to violence.
Fani-Kayode added that those that dragged the wife of the President to ICC were not educated on issue of international law. He said if they were, they would have known that individuals were not taken to the court on the basis of their speech.
He said, “It is only if that speech is followed by violence and mayhem or if it incites people to commit violence, which results in death, mass murder and crimes against humanity, that the person who indulged in such hate speech becomes an eligible candidate for the ICC.
“Dame Patience Jonathan is a woman of peace. She did not threaten anyone with violence; she did not incite anyone to commit violence or to kill others and her words have not resulted in death, mass murder or any crimes against humanity.
“We therefore completely reject the baseless charge and assertion that she has called for the killing or slaughter of anyone at any point in time.”
It said there was no basis for her to be reported to the international court in the first place.
Patience was reported to have told supporters of the PDP at its rally in Cross River State to stone anyone who is canvassing for change in the state. “Change” is the slogan of the APC.
In its complaint to the ICC, the APC through its Director-General, Presidential Campaign Council, Rotimi Amaechi, who is also the Governor of Rivers State, said the wife of the President was calling on the supporters of the ruling party to attack those of the APC.
But the Director of Media and Publicity of the organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, reacting to the claim by the main opposition party, described Patience as a woman of peace, adding that her speech didn’t propel anyone to take to violence.
Fani-Kayode added that those that dragged the wife of the President to ICC were not educated on issue of international law. He said if they were, they would have known that individuals were not taken to the court on the basis of their speech.
He said, “It is only if that speech is followed by violence and mayhem or if it incites people to commit violence, which results in death, mass murder and crimes against humanity, that the person who indulged in such hate speech becomes an eligible candidate for the ICC.
“Dame Patience Jonathan is a woman of peace. She did not threaten anyone with violence; she did not incite anyone to commit violence or to kill others and her words have not resulted in death, mass murder or any crimes against humanity.
“We therefore completely reject the baseless charge and assertion that she has called for the killing or slaughter of anyone at any point in time.”
So, the ICC should wait until their is mass murder? Itssokay!