May 29; Group vows to resist interim government
Emmanuel kehinde,Ilorin
The Oodua Progressives Care- Initiate(OPCI) on Sunday vowed to defend the mandate freely given to the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu by vast majority of Nigerians during the March 25,2023 presidential election.
He said the election that produced Tinubu as free and fair, the group expressed its preparedness to resist any attempt by those it called enemies of democracy to stop or disrupt the inauguration of Tinubu on May 29, 2023.
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Addressing a crowded press conference in Ilorin, Kwara State, the president of OPCI, Chief Maruf Olanrewaju warned that the group would not allow a repeat of 1993 incident when the election of another Yoruba man, the late Chief Mashood Abiola was annulled.
Olanrewaju’s speech was titled” Stop drumming for anarchy on May 29 handing over”.
The OPCI National president said
“In 2023 presidential general election, it is undisputable fact Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu won the election with over eight million votes and he was declared by INEC chairman, Professor Mahmud and certificate of return was given to Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“After the declaration by INEC, some opposition political parties raised alarm and they were advised to seek redress through the legal means in the court of law by President Muhammadu Buhari, of which we believe it’s part of democracy.
“Ladies and gentlemen, members of the press, it came to us as a surprise the action of some hooligans, criminals, enemies of democracy and enemies of our dear nation calling for military coup against our democracy and interim government instead of proper handing over to the president – elect on May 29.
“Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, members of the press, my fellow comrades, OPCI as an organisation that believe in efficacy of law, democracy and the unity of Nigeria, we shall not and we will not fold our hands and be watching these elements of destruction to truncate our democracy. If it was done successfully on June 12 election in 1993, we will not allow it to repeat itself on February 25 election. We will do everything possible to defend the democracy, to sustain the democracy, to grow the democracy and to defend the mandate given to Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
” We will mobilise all the sisters organizations, Yoruba sons and daughters within and outside the country to defend the said mandate. We are ready to lay down our lives if situation demand; we shall fight this battle without looking back to logical conclusion. We will not allow any intruder or any parasite individual or group of people to dethrone our democracy; we are ready to defend it with the last drop of our blood.
” We are hereby calling on some elements of destruction that are parading themselves as Yoruba leaders, either individuals or an association no matter how highly -placed calling for cancellation of the election or any statement from whoever call him/ herself a leader in Yoruba land capable to cause crisis or turn our nation to state of anarchy will be rejected and dealt with.
“We are in a global village, the era of analogue has gone and gone forever, they should not attempt to draw us back by any means, to be forewarned is to be foreharmed.”
