The leading Nigerian pro-democracy group, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) USA, has warned that the country will continue on the retrogressive trajectory charted by the successive corrupt and unpatriotic leadership if a greater majority of the citizenry fails to rise and face up to those behind the decay immediately by marching relentlessly for a “Better Nigeria”.
The group which is still opposed to the globally criticized manner of Bola Tinubu’s emergence as president, says the Nigerian leader murdered democracy in Nigeria and by so doing, has murdered his own sleep. “He will know no peace until we the people rescue power from him, a tyrant”, NADECO adds.
The pro-democracy group has never been comfortable with the emergence of Tinubu as the Nigeria leader. Last March, the group described his ‘election’ as a product of “a poisonous tree.”
NADECO which is Nigeria’s premier and foremost pro-democracy group based in Washington D.C was initially registered in Nigeria in 1994 by a group of activist pro-democracy Nigerians who needed a platform to fight the then military dictatorship of the the late General Sani Abacha after he took power through a military coup in May of 1993 and reneged on his promise to hold elections to return Nigeria to constitutional democracy.
Yar’Adua who was also a former Katsina State Governor (1999-2007), is revered as the best leader of Nigeria since the return to multi-party democracy in 1999. He was the second civilian president under the country’s current constitution.
He won controversial polls after his predecessor – Obansanjo’s – plans to extend his stay from 1999 – 2007 got stiff opposition from the then ruling PDP. He took office in 2007 and led for three years. He died at the age of 58 in Saudi Arabia, and was flown back for burial.
The known cause of death was pericarditis, better known as inflammation of a membrane around the heart. He was succeeded by his then deputy, Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan completed Yar’adua’s term and won a substantive term in 2011.
He, however, failed to secure a final term in 2015 after he was defeated by the former President Muhammadu Buhari in an election marred by violence by his own supporters in the northern part of the country. In spite of the fact that Yar’Adua’s election was not as nasty as what INEC conducted this time around, the US moved against him.
However, NADECO is skeptical from what is known about Tinubu, his deputy, Kashim Shetima, Godswill Akpabio, Barau Jibrin, Tajudeen Abbas, Benjamin Kalu, Nyesom Wike, Femi Gbajabiamila, among others and queries if “Nigerians in their sane minds do expect anything better”?
“The direction we take in our country will be determined by the men who lead. Who are our leaders if I may ask? Are we prepared to follow them or ditch them? To Nigerians and the International community, the Tinubu administration remains illegitimate and unconstitutional”, the group says.
Executive Director of NADECO USA, Lloyd Ukwu, stated so in a speech he delivered online at the event: “NADECO speaks to Nigerians event with the theme, “At all costs, fight for it, grab it, snatch it, and run with it” taken from one of Mr. Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s pre-election speeches.
Though President Tinubu is promising the suffering Nigerians “Renewed Hope”, Ukwu says there’s no hope unless the people rise up and put an end to what he described as “the Criminal Republic of Nigeria. Institutional Criminality”, which according to him, is already a tradition for these “political criminals.”
But, the Tinubu administration is assuring Nigerians that they will soon see the effect of the N27.5 trillion 2024 budget. Senior Special Assistant to President Tinubu, Kunle Olanrewaju, gave the assurance in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday.
“Within the shortest possible time, Nigerians will begin to see the effect of the 2024 budget and will have reason to smile. Things are not very rosy for the average Nigerian; all of us are in the shoes, and we believe that we must change the narratives.
“And of course, that is why the President has focused this particular budget on solving the basic problems, particularly job creation, poverty reduction, and social development. The indices are clear that we have problems in our hands, but like a good warrior, you don’t run away from war. I can assure you that we will begin to see the effect of this budget within the shortest possible time.
“Nigeria will clearly see that at the end of the tunnel, there is light”, says the top presidential aide.
Disturbingly, NADECO is not persuaded by those assurances. Apparently uncomfortable with what has become of Nigeria since 2015 when Muhammadu Buhari sent Goodluck Jonathan packing from the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the group says, “first, we placed our hope on the people and our voter cards. That failed us. Then We shifted our hope to INEC. That too failed us.
“Next, we said all eyes were on the Judiciary. We were disappointed. Then we said, the Supreme Court. That turned out to be hogwash and the biggest failure.
“Now we are the people. Sovereignty belongs to us. Nigeria belongs to us, you and I. It’s now our turn to deliver ourselves from them. The people cannot fail the people as those that we relied on did.
“We must retrieve our mandate now. We must liberate ourselves. We must demand freedom. But the only problem is that Freedom is not free, it has never been from time immemorial. Not necessarily in terms of lost life but not free in terms of your money, your time, your resources, your pleasure, your comfort zone, etc.”
Going down memory lane about the following historic uprisings: American Revolution, French Revolution, Cuban Revolution, Chinese Communist Revolution, Greek War of Independence, Iranian Revolution, Arab Spring, Taipei Rebellion, Serbian Revolution, Bolshevik Revolution, Haitian Revolution, and now Israel, the NADECO chief submits like a lawyer he is, “the greatest of all the revolutions is the American Revolution.
“What were the top four causes of this revolution? The Taxation Acts, the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, and the Intolerable Acts were the four main causes that led to the American Revolution. All of these and the worst things have happened and are happening right now in Nigeria.
“Democracy is also not free just as freedom is not. Just listen to what the late Jerry Rawlings of Ghana said to a French journalist in an interview: ‘When you talk about democracy you must talk about the power and the capacity of the people to be strong enough, to be defiantT enough to be able to protect freedom and justice. People who can not protect freedom and justice, can not protect democracy. The people need to be empowered enough to defy the politician when he is wrong. If they can not correct him and with the passage of time, he becomes a tyrant, a dictator.’
“Today, we stand on the precipice of a pivotal moment in the history of our great nation, Nigeria. This great occasion and platform has brought us together not merely to speak, but to ignite the flames of change within us, to inspire a collective uprising against the shackles of corruption that have bound our beloved country for decades.
“We are the last hope of the common man. We are the people’s Supreme Court of Nigeria. We have nowhere else to go but to fight back. Nigeria, once a beacon and ivory of hope, now stands at the crossroads of despair and mockery in the comity of nations. With the last Supreme Court judgment on the presidential election, our once respected nation has finally lost the last straw of respect that it got.”
Continuing, NADECO says “our judiciary, legislative, and executive systems, infected by the venom of corruption, have failed to serve the very people they were designed to protect. It’s time we acknowledge that Nigeria is not working; instead, it’s spiraling into an abyss of economic hardship, a consequence of the greed of corrupt politicians.
“So today, I implore you to cast aside the illusion that salvation will come from foreign shores or from anywhere other than from you. No Western government can rescue Nigeria; the power to reclaim our destiny lies within us, the resilient and patriotic sons and daughters of this great nation.
“From the northern winds of Kano to the southern waves of Calabar, from the bustling streets of Lagos to the serene landscapes of Yenagoa, from the sleepy village if Oshiobele and Ahoada to the federal capital city of Abuja, let us rise with a unified voice.
“Let the echoes of our demand for a better Nigeria resonate from Onitsha to Makurdi, from Ago Iwoye to Awo Omama, cutting across religious beliefs and tribal affiliations.
“Our politicians have cunningly exploited our diversity, using religion and ethnicity as tools of division for decades. It’s time to shatter these chains and recognize that Nigerian politicians are not invincible giants after all; they are not more powerful than the collective might of our youth.
“They have sown seeds of discord, feeding on the bitterness of tribal and religious sentiments. But today, we declare that hunger and joblessness know no tribe or religion. It is a common enemy that unites us, and together, we can defeat it.
“This is our moment, our opportunity to grasp the reins of our destinies. If we don’t do it, no one will. Not even the West, for they too have their interests, sometimes aligned with the corrupt politicians who exploit our nation’s wealth. Let us stand united, rising above petty differences, defeating hired thugs and their politician paymasters who seek to intimidate us. For in our unity lies the strength to create a Nigeria free from nepotism, corruption, and division.
“Fellow Nigerians, the time has come for us to rise with unwavering determination and march for our freedom, our future, and against the shackles of oppression that bind us. We must unite against the corrosion of corruption that stains our nation, manipulated by politicians for their own gain.
“Arise O compatriots, Nigeria’s call to obey: Dominate and shut down Nigeria now. Peaceful protest against an illegitimate, illegal, and brutal regime is a constitutionally protected human right.
“Do you know why protests have not fully erupted in Nigeria? Historically, even before independence but especially during June 12, 1993 protests have mostly emanated from the SW then religion and ethnicity are weaponized to ignite the North. Today all the protest organizers are in government and chopping big time. So no protest can take place.
“APC, Tinubu, Soyinka, Falana, Bakare, etc protested against Goodluck Jonathan, called him clueless, called his wife a hippopotamus, and carried a mock coffin of him. Nothing happened to them. Nothing will happen to us now.
“We must say no and change that narrative because we all are hurting. We are not here to plan or organise a revolution because revolutions are neither planned nor organised. Revolutions just happen. And it will happen soon. To deal with people who don’t obey the rule of law, you need to be mad. What they love is the rule of lawlessness.
“As youths, you are the heartbeat of this great nation, and it is high time we defied the divisions sown among us for the selfish interests of a few. Our unity is our strength, and together we shall march against the chains that hold us hostage.”
Adding, NADECO says “the drumbeat of our march resonates with the rhythm of change. We march not only against the visible chains of corruption but also against the silent oppressor that is poverty. Our steps today forge a path towards a future where every Nigerian can rise above the grasp of destitution. If we truly are the leaders of tomorrow, then that future is now.
“Let the flames of passion burn within us, propelling us forward as we demand the Nigeria we deserve. This march is not just a physical movement but a symbolic stride toward a nation where justice, equity, and prosperity prevail.
“Nigerians, the power to shape our destiny lies within us. As we march, let our voices echo in unison, drowning out the whispers of corruption and oppression. For in this collective movement, we carve a legacy for generations to come.
“March for freedom, march for unity, and march for a Nigeria where the dreams of today become the reality of tomorrow. The time is now, and we are the architects of our fate.
“The time has come for us to be the architects of our own fate. Let this be the day we rise as one, declaring that a new Nigeria is not just a dream but a reality waiting for us to seize. Nigerians are very creative. If only we could fix our politics, we would be the envy of the entire world.”
In the meantime, the group has dropped some deliverables for mass actions in the country. NADECO is also joining the existing suit or bringing a fresh suit against the FBI to recover a full and complete record of Tinubu.
NADECO says it is bringing an action against CSU seeking a declaratory judgment to tell the world how Tinubu graduated and when and also, why they have never gone after him for forging their former president’s signature.
NADECO has announced that it has set up a Good Governance Initiative by creating a website namely nigeriangoodgovernanceindex.com. “This interactive website will have a Hall of Fame and a Hall of Shame where Nigerians will vote to list politicians either in fame or shame. Then the inductees will be issued certificates in the category that they belong to.
“The initiative will be broken into all three branches of government, Executive, legislature, and judiciary and it will cover federal, state, and local governments. In the executive, it will cover the Presidency, ministers, and head of parastatals”, it adds.
According to NADECO, “for the judiciary, we have created a section for rating and judging the judges by the general public and another for only lawyers to rate the judges. There will be ratings and comments about those who accept bribes, for example, etc in addition to the following General Rating Criteria: temperament, scholarship, industriousness, ability to handle complex litigation, punctuality, general ability to handle pretrial matters, general ability as a trial judge, flexibility in scheduling, etc
“NADECO is also making available a section where Nigerians will release instances of bad governance, and stealing of government money by searching for bank accounts of politicians and their friends and families and making them public. Young men working in banks are tasked to search for accounts belonging to politicians and their stooges containing stolen money. Houses and investments owned by politicians will be made public.
“Nigerians all over the US have resolved to form a political action committee (PAC) to encourage Nigerians to use their voting power against any administration, currently or in the future, that supports Nigeria to oppress and suppress the people. No more business as usual. Gregory Simpkins will address that later.
“Finally, if you are happy with what is happening in Nigeria please do nothing and stay at home. If you want our country back, come out and shut Nigeria down in a very peaceful protest. Date to be announced.”
