- The over 20 non-governmental organisations say they would soon commence their rallies in support of President Muhammadu Buhari
- They argue that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo does not have the moral right to decide Buhari's political future when he has tainted image
- They claim that Obasanjo's letter is a move to get Buhari off the seat and return the country to those who do not mean well for it
Ahead of 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari has received support from some non-governmental organisations in Nigeria just as the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CN) is to be unveiled in Abuja on Wednesday, January 31.
The CN movement is being championed by President Olusegun Obasanjo and The Nation reports that 10 of the 36 governors in Nigeria and a couple of members of the National Assembly have shown interest in it.
The report further said about 200 non-government organisations in support of Buhari promised in Abuja to commence a nationwide rally in support of the current administration from February 6.
READ ALSO: Buhari reportedly warns aides against responding to Obasanjo’s letter
Under the umbrella of the Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations in Nigeria (FONGON), the various groups expressed belief that Obasanjo should be held responsible for half of Nigeria’s problems.
Speaking with journalists, the national coordinator of the forum, Wole Badmus, said Buhari is not too old to lead the nation in 2019.
“We are a coalition of 200 NGOs, with a total membership of 3 million, comprising students, women, artisans, youth groups etc. drawn from the nation’s six geopolitical zones.
“We are here today to announce that starting from next Tuesday, February 6th 2018, we will kick start a nationwide rally in support of the Buhari administration.
“The rally will start here in the nation’s capital, Abuja, and then move to all the six geo-political zones. It will be a rally like no other. We, the concerned NGOs, have come together to rally support for President Muhammadu Buhari‘s administration, because we believe strongly that it has, since assuming office on 29 May 2015, performed creditably in putting Nigeria on the path of growth and development.
“We have chosen to come out this time because there seems to be an orchestrated campaign going on across the country at the moment to demonise the Buhari administration, in order to pave the way for the return of the same people who brought the country to where it was before President Buhari launched his rescue mission upon assuming office.
“We are concerned that unless an urgent action is taken, the voices of these people, whom we believe are being sponsored by looters and those who have been prevented from turning the nation’s treasury to their personal banks, may become the dominant voices.”
According to him, Obasanjo is not qualified to speak n Buhari’s political future since he is still hunted by the third term scandal.
Describing Buhari as strong, experienced and credible enough, Badmus added: “With due respect, whether he has good intention for the country or not, we cannot really say but we know that if you want to identify the problems of Nigeria, without fear or favour, 50 per cent can be attributed to the individual called Olusegun Obasanjo.
“As for the letter (special statement), yes he raised some valid points which are not as a result of the ineptness of the present administration.
“Everybody knew that the country was at the brink of collapse as at May 2015. So you cannot put the entire blame on Buhari. In writing his latest letter, did he make a single attempt to see the President? No.
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“Somebody just came up and he started telling Nigerians yearly that they must take his own dosage to our democratic ailment; it is never done. Democracy is a game of many, not a game of an individual.
“With due respect, former President Olusegun Obasanjo cannot be imposing his whims and caprices upon the nation all the time. We see his letter as distractive.
“The question needs to be asked, why is Obasanjo distracting Buhari when he has not declared in actual fact? Why are people telling Buhari not to contest when he has not declared that he is running?
“You are castigating somebody and arm-twisting him. You are saying he should not run because you don’t believe in him. But we believe in him, so we are saying he should run. The simple answer is to subject everything to democratic scrutiny.”
NAIJ.com earlier reported how the All Progressives Congress (APC) assured the United Kingdom that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government is committed to delivering on its 2015 campaign promises to Nigerians.
A statement by the party’s media office said the national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, gave the assurance when receiving a delegation of the UK in Abuja on Tuesday, January 30.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Wednesday, 31 January 2018