A pro-democracy group calling itself “Coalition for a Better Nigeria” has pledged to remain in Nigeria’s unity fountain in Abuja until President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is sworn in on May 29th, 2023.
During a protest in Abuja on Friday, the group’s leaders condemned those advocating for interim government or the cancellation of the February 25 presidential election.
Comrade Awa Bamiji, Convener of the Coalition for a Better Nigeria, stated that the group was out to protect Nigeria’s hard-earned democracy by ensuring a smooth transition of power on May 29 so that the mandate “freely given by Nigerians to Tinubu” at the polls was not jeopardized.
He urged Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, and Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, in the recently concluded 2023 Presidential election to accept the olive branch already extended to them by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was declared the election winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Those calling for the cancellation of the Presidential election or the formation of an interim government, he said, were the true enemies of democracy in Nigeria, insisting that Tinubu’s victory was irreversible.
Bamiji said: “Our members are mostly Pro-Democracy activists in and outside Nigeria for a better Nigeria. We will not leave this Unity Fountain until President-elect Ahmed Tinubu is inaugurated on May 29.
“We organise this news conference to let people know about efforts being made by the coalition towards the successful inauguration of the new President on May 29.
“This group is saying no to the interim government. This is the constituency that produced the President today and so there is no way we could support cancellation of the February 25 Presidential election or formation of an Interim Government”, he said.
He maintained that Tinubu is a foremost leader in the international community of civil society and has remained firm in the defence of democracy in Nigeria. “Like I said, we are fully prepared for his inauguration,” he added