Some tribal leaders from across the nation have warned the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) against any subterranean plot to work with an opposition political party to thwart the May 29 inauguration of Bola Tinubu as the sixteenth president of Nigeria.
The pro-democracy and anti-sabotage organisation under the auspices of The Natives asserted that a Northern group, the Arewa Youth Assembly AYA, had uncovered plans by certain groups to implement the ulterior motive against Tinubu’s inauguration.
In his May Day speech, Ajaero accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working in collusion “with some members of our political class has driven a death nail into the democratic experience of most Nigerians, leaving the electorate despondent and forced to resort to self-help in an effort to salvage what is left of their vibrant political engagement with the 2023 elections.”
“Unfortunately, the majority of Nigerians, particularly the youths, who fought with patriotism to reset their country through the ballot box, are now wondering if elections have not become the instrument for legitimising the corrupt takeover of Nigeria,” he had stated.
In a statement released Sunday in Abuja, the Supreme Leader of The Natives, Hon. Smart Edwards, stated that Nigeria is not a lawless jungle and that Tinubu will be inaugurated in magnificent style despite the threats.
The Natives are comprised of diverse Nigerian ethnic groups, cultures, languages, and tribes, with over twenty million members nationwide.
Edward stated that the NLC has lost the credibility to speak on behalf of all Nigerians because it chose to be partisan in the most recent general election.
According to Edwards, Tinubu is neither a neophyte nor an accidental politician, but rather a seasoned political icon, a strategist, and a boon to the nation’s democracy, economy, and global development.
“Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be inaugurated as the sixteenth President of Nigeria in spectacular fashion.
“Natives are already beating the drumbeat as Nigeria prepares to witness the first opposition leader elected as the 16th President of Nigeria. A comrade, a June 12 supporter, a senator, a governor, a negotiator of political power with all previous and current Nigerian presidents, a man builder, a mentor, and a supporter of the labour movement.
“We are The Indigenous Peoples of all nations and languages. We are the true electorate, and we cannot wait for Tinubu to be inaugurated as the country’s next president.
“Therefore, we advise everyone to abandon the idea of protests or sabotaging the inauguration and instead rally their members and supporters to participate in the progress ahead of us.
Edwards stated, “Asiwaju will be different; all he needs is our collaboration, and Labour plays a significant role in this.”
The Natives praised the United States of America for its recent phone conversation with the President-elect, stating that it represents a significant step in the correct direction.
“Nigerians have moved on from the deceitful and self-centered negotiations of NLC,” he said. In the past, we all believed in the Labour union, its tactics, and even its aggressive actions, but today it has led itself into a quagmire.
“The 2023 election chronicles their decline from speaking for all, the powerless, impoverished, and disenfranchised citizens, to becoming representatives of politicians and saboteurs.
“During the last general election, the NLC’s foray into politics and method of candidate selection flung open the gates to all manner of unknown and unpredictible individuals, leaving the shores of tried and true allies to uncharted depths.
“The inability of the NLC to mitigate the influx of mixed multitudes into their midst indicates that it is likely to adopt the culture of politicians with the same result from political actors’ choices, which they so readily condemned in the past. This is evidenced by the allegations and counter-accusations that led to the despicable behaviour of its political actors before the Presidential Tribunal.”
Edward added that for the NLC to regain its image and confidence, “it must take some courage to reset, rethink, and restore the hopes of the common man, which were historically vested in the Labuor movement in which we all participated as students, youth activists, and members of the civil society, etc.”
“The NLC must understand the distinction and relationship among its party, employees, and non-workers. You cannot threaten the inauguration of a seasoned democratic leader, a face and symbol of tenacity, resistance, and consistency in the liberation struggle for the democracy we now enjoy. As a known promoter of the Labour movement, it is impossible to thwart Tinubu’s inauguration, as far more Nigerians are attracted to the Renewed Hope mandate than to the Labour movement or its party.”
