Date Published: 05/28/09
PRESS STATEMENT
ENAHORO, BUHARI, ATIKU, OJUKWU, UTOMI, JAKANDE, BALARABE, FALAE OTHERS CONVERGE ON ABUJA FOR ELECTORAL REFORM AS NIGERIA MARKS 10 TH YEAR OF CIVIL RULE
Eminent Political leaders in country under auspices of the Mega Summit Movement have slated a stakeholders’ pre summit on Electoral Reform for Thursday 28 th May, as well as a world press conference for Friday 29 th May 2009 to demand for a popular reform of Nigeria’s electoral system as Nigeria marks a decade of the return of civil rule.
The stakeholders’ pre summit forum tagged Electoral Reform and the future of Nigeria’s Democracy holds in furtherance to the ongoing nationwide consultations on Electoral Reform and the future of Nigerian democracy by eminent political leaders and wide spectrum of stakeholders under the leadership of Elder statesman, Chief Anthony Enahoro. The stakeholders’ pre summit will also further deliberate on a proposed alternative Bill on electoral reform initiated by the new movement.
Expected at the national address, which begins 10:00am on Friday 29 th May at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja include Chief Anthony Enahoro, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Alhaji Atiku Aburbarkar, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari,Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, Chief Olu Falae, Alhaji Lawan Keita, Prof Pat Utomi, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, Dr Arthur Nwankwo, Chief Tom Ikimi, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Chief Harry Akande, Alhaji Yusuf Alli, Mr Dan Nwanyanwu, Chief Rasheed Adewale Shitta Bey, Barrister Femi Falana, Dr Usman Bugaje, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, Dr Sule Hamma among others which also includes party chairmen, past and serving senators, members of the House of Reps, eminent statesmen, politicians, activists, professionals, labour / trade union leaders, women, youths and the media.
The special national address convened by the movement also became imperative in view of the threatening reverses that have characterized democratization process in Nigeria. The initiative has grown into a mass movement whose objective is to announce a political party soon with the mission of enthroning popular democracy as well as pro-people governance in Nigeria.
The new movement recognizes immense potentials of Nigeria as Africa’s largest and world’s populous Black Country but regrets the socio-economic and political crises that have assumed a giddying proportion and remain limitation to translating abundance of natural and human resources into fulfilling livelihoods and secured future.
The movement notes that the myriad of ills bedeviling the country today derive from her weak democratic system and therefore considers the drive for the formation of a new political party imperative with the view to giving a fresh breathe to democratization process. However, the movement is conscious that making a new political party that approximates the collective yearnings and aspirations of the people to deliver on genuine democracy and good governance would remain a mirage without securing the electoral process from the booby-traps in the Electoral Act; as the magnitude of infractions, frauds and manipulations, violence, confusions and subterfuge arising from previous elections since 1999 has demonstrated.
The Summit Group remains faithful to building a mass movement ahead of the general elections in 2011 and would therefore mobilize cross sections of Nigerians as well as local and international stakeholders to demand implementation of a credible Electoral Reform as a minimum condition for participation in future elections in Nigeria. The movement will also examine strategies for networking and synergizing with various stakeholders committed to electoral reform in Nigeria with a view to imbue the democratization process with qualitative political leadership that would approach governance with ideology and patriotism.
Signed
Mr Wale Okunniyi
Head of Secretariat
Mega Summit Movement
