Form strong force to save Nigeria’s democracy, opposition leaders urged

Opposition leaders including the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 election, Atiku Abubakar, and that of Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have been urged to form a strong force to save the country’s democracy. In a statement yesterday in […]

Opposition leaders including the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 election, Atiku Abubakar, and that of Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have been urged to form a strong force to save the country’s democracy.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, the Head, the National Coordinating Secretariat of the United Action Front of Civil Society of Nigeria, Olawale Okunniyi, said without a strong opposition, popular governance will shrink.

He urged Nigerians to remain resolute and steadfast in the defence of democracy, which must be demonstrated through relentless commitment to the demand for justice “notwithstanding political and judicial intimidations.”

He said, “We wish to call on leading opposition leaders in the country such as Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr Peter Obi, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso among others, to immediately rise up and unite to rally opposition forces in Nigeria to resist heightening impunity and recklessness in the governance of Nigeria, especially in defence of the future of the country’s democracy as done in other advanced democracies around the world.

“We wish to reaffirm that except political opposition becomes formidable, engaging and active in any country, popular governance will shrink and die.”

Okunniyi, who condemned the political impasse in Rivers State, also called on the judiciary to be guided by the principle of the rule of law in the discharge of its duties.