A pro-democracy and anti-sabotage organisation, The Natives, has expressed optimism that the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the 16th President will hold in grand style on Monday, May 29 as planned.
The group was reacting to Joe Ajaero-led Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threat to scuttle the inauguration of the new administration during the last Labour Day when it came hard on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing it of conducting flawed general elections.
But in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, the Supreme Leader of the Natives, Hon. Smart Edwards, warned any plan to scuttle the inauguration would fall flat.
According to Edward: “Nigeria is not a jungle where there is no law and order. Tinubu will be inaugurated in a grand style contrary to all the threats.”
The Natives are an amalgam of different ethnic groups, cultures, Languages and tribes across Nigeria with over twenty million members nationwide.
The Supreme leader of the Natives said NLC has lost credibility to speak for all Nigerians since it chose to be partisan in the last general election.
“Tinubu is not a novice and also not an accidental politician, he is an accomplished political icon, a strategist and an asset to Nation’s democracy, economy and global development.
“Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be inaugurated in grand style as the 16th President of Nigeria.
“The Natives are already rolling out the drums as Nigeria prepares to witness the first opposition leader turned National Leader and elected as the 16th President of Nigeria. A Comrade, a June 12 advocate, a Senator, a Governor, a negotiator of political power with all past and incumbent Presidents in Nigeria, a builder of men, mentor and supporter of the Labour movement.”
Cautioning those nursing plans to foment trouble before the inauguration, including the NLC to perish such thought.
He said: “We are the Natives of all tribes and languages. We are the real voters and we can’t wait for Tinubu to be inaugurated as the next President of this country.
“So, we advise all and sundry to perish the thought of protests or scuttling the inauguration but galvanize their members and supporters to join in the progress ahead of us all.
“Asiwaju will be different and all he needs is our collaboration and Labour has a major role to play in this,” Edwards said.
While commending the government of the United States of America on the recent phone conversation with the President-elect, The Natives said such is a genuine leap in the right direction.
He said: “Nigerians have moved on from the deceptive and self-centred negotiations of NLC. We all believed in the Labour Union in the past, its tactics and even its combative actions but today it has led itself into a quagmire albeit politically expedient.
“2023 election chronicles their decline from speaking for all, the helpless, poor and disenfranchised citizens, to become representatives of politicians and saboteurs themselves.
“In the last general election, NLC’s foray into politics and its mode of choice of candidates threw the gates open to all manner of unknown and unpredictable people, it left the shores of tested comrades to uncharted depths.
“NLC’s inability to mitigate the influx of mixed multitudes into their midst means it is likely to imbibe the culture of politicians with the same outcome from political actors by their choices, which they easily condemned in the past. This is even evident in the current squabbles it is washed with, given the accusations and counter-accusations that lead to the despicable act of its political actors at the Presidential Tribunal.”
Edward added that for NLC to reclaim it’s disappearing image and confidence, “it must take some courage to reset, rethink and restore the hopes of the common man which was historically vested in the Labuor movement to which we all participated as students, youth activists and civil society etc.
“The NLC must know the difference and relationship between its party, the workers and non-workers. You cannot threaten the inauguration of a tested democrat, a symbol and face of doggedness, resistance and consistency in the liberation struggle for this democracy we now enjoy. As a known promoter of the labour movement, stampeding TINUBU inauguration is impossible, because there are far more Nigerians that are excited and attracted to the Renewed Hope mandate than are in the labour movement or its party.”
The group commended the President-elect on his efforts to unite the country even before he takes over the mantle of leadership.
“In the last few months after the election, we have seen the tendency and temerity of a tested negotiator, a thinker and a doer, not distracted but determined and driven by a collective goal for a better Nigeria.
“We have seen Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in opposition state of Rivers, uniting different political players (Wike and Abe), that is in the greater interest of Rivers state. Also, Asiwaju is seen engaging another opposition figure, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a royal father like Sanusi Lamido. These are commendable efforts to unite the country.”
