Tinubu Wins 2nd Term Endorsement Of Opposition And Civil Society Groups
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday received the endorsement of Nigerian Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and opposition political groups to run for a second term in the 2027 elections.
Making their stand known in a communiqué released under their umbrella group, the Pan-Nigeria Civil Society Organisations and Opposition Alliance (PANCSOA), said that they believed the post of President should remain in the South, and “in our consideration, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our top focus now.”
It issued the communiqué following an intensive one-day strategic stakeholders’ deliberation held in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
PANCSOA expressed misgivings that the emerging opposition coalition appeared not to have learnt from the error of 2023 that cost the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) the presidential ticket.
While commending the emergence of an opposition coalition, PANCSOA, however, submitted: “The biggest error the opposition is currently making is the avoidance of zoning its presidential slot to the South as it should be. This is already creating doubts in the minds of their supporters as not to repeat the unfortunate incident that befell the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in 2022 that led to its destructive internal crises by those dissatisfied with the outcome of the convention due to throwing open the presidential contest instead of applying the zoning formula in its own constitution.
“It seems the current coalition is also making the same mistake. This has expressly opened the way for the incumbent administration to win seamlessly in 2027 in view of the formidable strategies and mass structural reach of their political networks. We are not the ones saying so, it is the outcome of a data-driven analysis.”
PANCSOA condemned the resurgence of politically motivated violence and insecurity, observing that the trend normally escalated when elections were approaching in the country.
It said: “This has become noticeable during most of our past elections but became a dangerous pattern since the 2015 general elections. Terrorism and banditry in Nigeria seem to have a great dosage of political underpinning which, for the most part, is being engineered by politicians desperate for power and external multinational interests hell-bent on destroying Nigeria in order to steal its humongous natural resources as they are doing in the other parts of Africa, especially the Congo. These are satanic enemies of Nigeria that must be eliminated at all costs.”
Saying it recognised that defeating terrorism and banditry could not be left solely to the government and the military, PANCSOA called for the mass involvement of all citizens to support the Armed Forces.
“We call on our wealthy business men and women to establish a foundation to care for our military personnel injured in battles, widows and widowers of our gallant troops who have paid the supreme price while fighting to defend the country,” the group submitted. “We call for immediate action to always take place on active and credible intelligence either by the relevant intelligence agencies or the people acting on their observations. Failure to do this contributes immensely to surprise attacks and the unnecessary loss of lives and property. Nigeria can and will defeat terror, but we must all play our own parts as citizens interested in the peace and progress of Nigeria.”
It warned the country’s political coalition against self-decimation by the ambitions of many presidential aspirants and advised the pooling of resources to support one popular and acceptable candidate.
PANCSOA said: “The coalition has demonstrated its lack of foresight in that it failed woefully to pre-empt most of the crises bedevilling it currently. Assuming without conceding that external forces are instigating its crisis, it is no rocket science to have prepared adequately for those and take adequate pre-emptive steps to tackle it.
“Most of those in the leadership of the coalition are vastly experienced politicians who should have understood the game and strengthened the coalition against all these avoidable crises.”
According to the group, although the country faced serious challenges on security, the economy and ethno-religious divisions, Nigerians might “have no choice than to return the incumbent in the face of a coalition that seems confused and unorganised.”
Signatories to the communiqué inter alia, included: Comrade Mohammed Abdulrazaq Sanni (the Facilitator), Fatima Abbas (Executive Director, Northern Female Education Campaign, NOFEC), Barr. Igwe Benjamin (Member Steering Committee of the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP), Comrade Mark Adebayo (President, Federation of Political Parties and Associations, FEPPA, Comprising of former national chairmen and presidential candidates), Mr. Victor Terhember, Programme Officer (SecureWorld and Liberty Initiative for Peace, SELIP), Danesi Momoh Prince )Deputy National Chairman, Zero Corruption Agenda, ZECA) and Tosin Olorunfemi (Ag. National Chairman, Committee for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption, CHRA).
Others were: Mr. Olaosebikan Aina (The Common Man’s Movement of Nigeria, COMAN), Mr. Johnson Michael (Genzees Collective Assurance for Tinubu, GECAT), Mr. Igwe Ude-Umanta (National Vice Chairman, Campaign Against Corruption and Religious Violence, CACREV), Orogbemi Titilayo: Executive Director, Gender Protection Project, GPP), Shuaibu Abdulkadir )Head of Northern Operations, Movement for the Actualization of Tinubu’s Second Term, MATSET), Chief Chijioke (Chairman, Handshake Across The Niger Elders’ Forum, HANEF), Chief Taiwo Akindolu )Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, COCSO), Mrs. Fidelia Michel (Chairperson, Electoral Integrity Initiative, EII), Rev. Nicholas Noble Yakubu (Chairman, Christian-Muslim Inter-Faith Cooperation Group, CMIFOG), Olufemi Lawson (National Secretary Campaign for Democracy, CD), Elder Michael Omohimua (National Chairman, Association of Former Councillors and Ward Leaders in Nigeria) and Hon Frank Ukonga (National Chairperson, Democratic Alternative, DA).
