22nd November, 2023
By Isa Isawade
The seeming desperation relentlessly displayed by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Presidential flag bearer in the Feb. 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar to unseat President Bola Tinubu has made a pro-democracy group, the Coalition For A Better Nigeria to call on security agencies in the country to put some identified figures under watch.
Following the loss of the opposition candidates Atiku Abubakar of PDP and Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) in the keenly contested election, the duo who had separately claimed to be winners pursued the case up to the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court reaffirmed the judgement of the competent lower courts that the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate, Bola Tinubu clearly won the contest.
However, rather than accept the verdict of the apex court, the individuals along with other disgruntled politicians such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo have been organising press conferences and making statements capable of inciting the Nigerian public.
The latest uproar was occasioned by recent rulings of Courts of Appeal nullifying the victories of some governors which the courts found were wrongly issued certificates of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The undesirable tension their acts have been creating in the country prompted the Coalition to put records straight and warn that the dissatisfied politicians could be up to a dangerous game.
In a release signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Awa Bamiji and forwarded to P.M.NEWS in Lagos on Tuesday, the Coalition stated that: “When APC lost the entire Zamfara State, the Bayelsa mandate, and all Rivers’ State National Assembly tickets to the PDP, in 2019, under the APC Government, Obasanjo’s Democracy was the best for Africa.
“The same inconsistent political leader of our time, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, celebrated the 2015 electoral loss of the PDP to the APC because he tore his PDP’s membership card in the full glare of the public before the election to pass a strong message to his embattled godson, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who he alleged had abandoned him since he won the 2011 Presidential election.
“Nigerians outside the country, please, be warned! You may be at a loss with the reality of the political situation in Nigeria. If you are still part of those who are taking the statement of the former President and unofficial Chairman of Board of Trustees of Labour Party (LP), Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, that “Democracy is not working for us in Africa”! serious, then we have a long way to go.
“We have a strong feeling that none of these opposition leaders and their loyalists is ready to accept court verdicts. So, they may be up to a sinister game.
“Therefore, they should be put under strict monitoring by the Security operatives because having tried their best without getting their desired result, they can do anything out of frustration to destabilise the country.
“This Government is just 6 months old and we are seeing its struggles to make things get better, especially in areas of Security, wooing foreign investors, Palliatives’ distribution, dialogue with Labour Unions, gradual decline in Naira/Dollar rate, raising hope of resumption of our local refineries starting from next year and more.
“We believe 2024 holds something better in stock. It’s going to be a year of New Nigeria, by God’s grace.”