Pro-democracy activists and progressive politicians across the country on Wednesday held a world press conference at Unity Fountain, Abuja ahead of the May 29, 2023 handover of governance to the incoming Tinubu Administration....CONTINUE READING
Notable figures present at the conference to honour the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, were the Kaduna State Governor-Elect Uba Sani; former Edo State Governor and Senator-Elect Adams Oshiomhole; former President of NUPENG and June 12 Activist, Ovie Kokori; Alhaji Tanko Yakassai; Comrade Segun Mayegun…..CONTINUE READING
Others are the Niger Delta leader and staunch supporter of the President-Elect, Mujahid Asari Dokubo; Comrade Awa Bamiji and Vice President-Elect, Alhaji Kashim Shettima among others.
The conference observed a minute silence in memory of the Late Hon Olayiwola Olawale, a.k.a. Omititi, representing Mushin Constituency II, who slumped and later passed on during the flag-off of the APC Presidential Campaign in Jos, Plateau State; Late Chief (Mrs) Modupe Awodogan (Iya Oniyan) in same Mushin; Doyin Ojora, wife of the Lagos State Chief of Staff, Mr Tayo Ayinde, and Late Hon Iliyasu Umar and Alhaji Nuhu, close aides of the Vice President-Elect, Senator Kashim Shettima- both of them died in a ghastly motor accident which occurred Tuesday afternoon around 2 pm on their way from Abuja to Borno State.
“All Protocols duly observed. Coalition for A Better Nigeria is an alliance of hundreds of Pro-Democracy and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Non – Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), the National Youths’ Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) working towards A BETTER NIGERIA.
“We are so much concerned about the security situation, irregularities in our electoral process, a seemingly inordinate level of corruption, alarming unemployment rate, infrastructural decay and other aspects of bad Governance that the Nation has been subjected to over decades.
“In line with our vision for a better Nigeria, we have been criticising various government policies and actions constructively for over three decades. In 2007, we alerted of foul play immediately after the general election results were released by Prof. Maurice Iwu-led INEC. Numerous publicity materials were used to spread our Gospel then. The subsequent Appeal Tribunal verdicts and the historic exit of our one and only Prof. Wuruwuru were products of our collective struggles.
“On Tuesday, 27 January 2009, we had our inaugural National Discourse on the Electoral Reform Recommendation at Rockview Hotel, 23 Road, Festac Town, Lagos, and thereafter, copies of the Communique were filed in the Offices of the Late President Umar Musa Yar’dua; former Senate President, Senator David Mark; former Speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. (Hon) Dimeji Bankole; Chief Justice of the Federation and Attorney General of the Federation for their due consideration and recommendation to the National Assembly’s Committee on the Electoral Reform.
“As part of our resolutions, we decided to form a Vanguard with mass media through which we could monitor the subsequent elections in Nigeria under this body, right from the Voters’ Registration Exercise because it forms a foundation for a poor or bad electoral process. The 25th April 2009 Ekiti State Gubernatorial Re-Run Election was the first and good experience for us. Our contribution was positively felt and reported by the media.
“In the same vein, we staged successfully, a mass rally to protest the poor voter’s registration exercise in Lagos State on Monday, 24 January 2011 starting from the NLC Building, Yaba and moving along Ikorodu Road after our meeting with the Lagos State INEC Resident Commissioner in Yaba and terminated at the Governor’s Office, Ikeja,” the Chairman’s speech recounted.
The group commended Nigerians for their steadfastness in the defence of democracy and the rule of law and wished the country a happy inauguration on May 29…..CONTINUE READING
