Date Published: 06/01/09
Enahoro, Buhari, Atiku, Falae, Balarabe, Jakande others set to step up political actions
Leaders of the proposed Mega Party and some senior citizens coalescing within a new pro democracy platform tagged Mega Summit Movement, MSM have vowed to step up the present advocacy for a popular electoral reform if the government of Umoru Yar’ Adua refuses to yield to the demand of Nigerians for the adoption of the key pillars of the Uwais report.
Fielding questions from media men in Abuja at the end of the movement’s pre summit on electoral reform, Hon Wale Okunniyi, Head of Secretariat of Mega Summit Movement, MSM, said inspite of the contrived blackmail by the leadership of PDP, the movement will not hesitate to carry its current struggle for credible electoral reform to a logical end.
His words “The movement is certainly unperturbed by the latest arm twisting tactics of PDP leadership to blackmail credible opposition out of popular struggle so as to sustain their coup against the popular resolve of Nigerians.
However, in the course of the movement’s strategic intervention, if it becomes imperative to seek further alliances in the international community, the movement shall not fail to do so despite the latest campaign of calumny by the PDP”
Leaders of the proposed Mega party, who vowed not to chicken out of their current struggle, met at the weekend in Abuja to firm up plans on alternative electoral reform bill to be jointly forwarded to the national assembly by the movement, labour and civil society.
According to Okunniyi the movement has already set up synergy with labour and civil society and may be forced to embrace a combination of mass action and international advocacy to pressure the Yar’ Adua government for electoral reform before the next elections
The group, whose membership includes Frontline statesmen, eminent senior citizens and notable politicians, like Chief Anthony Enahoro, Gen Muhamadu Buhari, Alhaji Atiku Aburbarkar, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Chief Olu Falae, Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Prof Pat Utomi, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu, Chief Rasheed Shita Bey, Alhaji Lawan Keita, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, Mr Dan Nwanyanwu, among others has also unfolded its plans to hold a solidarity rally for electoral reform on June 12 in Lagos.
Okunniyi said the June 12 rally shall also be used to welcome more allies and members into the movement, as well as endorse a date in June for the formal presentation of its alternative bill to the national assembly. He said the mega party, which shall be launched immediately after the proposed national summit on the state of Nigerian democracy, has decided to field one single presidential candidate at the next election.
The leaders of the new movement has come to terms with the fact that the struggle to create electoral level playing field and to make the votes of Nigerians count is a not a tea party and have resolved to beguided by objectivity at all times, even if it demands interfacing with the United Nations, United Kingdom, the United States among others in furtherance of the peoples’ resolve, Okunniyi emphasized
Signed
Alhaji Hamisu San Turaki
Media Officer, MSM
Abuja
07030147731, 08025952801
