…Assure Tinubu ‘ll make difference in 6 months
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Teaming supporters of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have commended Nigerians for shunning the invitation by the leaders of the opposition party to protest the outcome of last Saturday’s presidential election and turn the country into anarchy.
The supporters under the auspices of Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for Tinubu/Shettima 2023, frowned at the attempts by the opposition leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to drag Nigerians into protesting at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, leaders of the Tinubu/Shettima group condemned totally condemned attempt by the opposition leaders to incite Nigerians into chaos and anarchy.
One of the leaders of the group, Okpokwu Ogenyi, warned that Nigerians have accepted the outcome of the presidential election, arguing that no Nigerian will agree to be coaxed into fomenting trouble in the country.
“Today we are here to throw weight behind the declaration of Bola Tinubu, the President-elect and we are saying that as CSOs, we will always be the watchdog of the society, we will be there always to guide the conscience of society.
“I want to add that no Nigerian will agree to be coaxed into causing chaos. We saw what happened on Monday where some elements of the opposition party, who are supposed to be elder statesmen decided to take to the street in protest. They called on Nigerians to join them, but Nigerians disappointed them because Nigerians have come to agreed with the reality that the election was free and fair, so they decided to abandon the PDP elements. We want to appreciate Nigerians and encourage them to continue to stand on the prove truth,” he said.
Similarly, convener of the group, Lilian Ene Ogbole, argued that no real and patriotic Nigerian will join the opposition to cause crisis against Nigerians.
Ogbole further argued that the fact that certain people did not win the just concluded presidential election does not mean the country should go down.
“Nigeria was there before they came and Nigeria will continue after them. We believe in Nigeria project, and of course, we believe that what we are doing by contesting an election is to build a better Nigeria for all and sundry. We will not in turn want to destroy that which we want to build because some people lost election.
“I want to thank Nigerians for rejecting the call for chaos. I want to thank Nigerians for rebuffing the call for anarchy. I want to thank Nigerians for refusing the call to disintegrate our country.
“We will reject any call to disintegrate our country, we will reject any calls to ruin our country, we will reject any call to destroy us. Tinubu is the man God has ordained.
“We want to particularly thank INEC for a job Well done. There is nowhere in the world where elections are devoid of hitches, Nigeria is not an exception. Be that as it may, we will all agree to the fact that the just concluded presidential election is the most transparent one since independence in 1960, and any man or woman who says this election is not credible is just been unfair and such is not truthful.
“We want to thank INEC for keeping to its word, we want yo thank President Muhammadu Buhari for creating an enabling environment for an improved electoral system in Nigeria.
“I want to talk to Nigerians very sincerely, this country is our, we have no anywhere else to call our own. If Nigeria goes down we all go down. Nigeria is our hope we must do everything possible to keep her standing.
“We are not unaware of the movement of some elements that call themselves patriots, I do not like to use abusive words on personalities,” he said.
The coalition equally assured Nigerians that they will see the difference within six months of Tinubu’s administration, emphasising: “Nigerians have gone beyond certain levels, Asiwaju’s victory is divine.”
“Asiwaju’s election right from day one has been a God’s project. Against all odds God showed himself strong. Against all odds God proved that the ways of men are not the ways of God and he emerged the winner, yet there are rumours and speculations of rigging in the election,” Ogbole argued.