May 05, (THEWILL) – A member of the House of Representatives and Secretary of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Hon. James Faleke, has commended the resilience and dedication of the rallying groups to the cause of democracy, peace and justice in Nigeria.
Faleke commended the groups consisting of Nigerians from all over the country, who have camped at the Unity Fountain, Abuja for well over a month, clamouring for a smooth, uninhibited transition.
Faleke, while on a solidarity visit to the Unity Fountain, commended the groups saying, “I have watched your activities for well over a month and I cannot but notice the passion and patriotic spirit that you have brought into your efforts to preserve Nigeria’s democracy and protect the mandate of Nigerians freely given to the President-elect, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the presidential election.
“Your sustained daily appearances at this Unity Fountain are a testimony to your patriotic commitment to the progress and unity of Nigeria and I promise you confidently that the incoming President will not disappoint you and all Nigerians as he is well-prepared for the humongous assignments of the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Renewed Hope mantra shall be fully operationalised for the benefit of all Nigerians.”
While welcoming Faleke to the Unity Fountain rallies, Convener of the Group, Tosin Adeyanju, assured him that the Pre-Inauguration Hangouts will continue until after the May 29, 2023, inauguration of the incoming administration in order not to allow anti-democratic forces pollute the nation’s atmosphere with their “evil agenda”.
He said their determination is to ensure a smooth transition from the outgoing administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose two-term tenure of eight years expires on May 29, 2023, to the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said the group believe it is their way of countering earlier calls by some opposition figures for either an interim government or a military takeover because of their allegations that the presidential election was deeply flawed.
“This group of patriotic Nigerians have come out vehemently to oppose any suggestion to scuttle an orderly transition to the newly elected President, which they consider a dangerous misdirection to scuttle our entire democracy,” Adeyanju said.
The son of the President-elect, Oluwaseyi Tinubu, who participated actively in the electioneering processes that led to the emergence of his father, also paid a solidarity visit to the Unity Fountain to solidarise with the group at the rally.
He and his entourage were warmly welcomed by the huge crowds at the Unity Fountain.
In his welcome speech, Dr. A. A. Maiagogo, the Co-Convener of the Group, said, “We are both happy and surprised by your visit to the Unity Fountain to solidarize with this group of Nigerians, who have volunteered to rally against evil forces, who meant no well for our country but wish to destroy the democratic gains that we have achieved since the inception of democracy in 1999.
“It is not only treasonous but unforgivably unpatriotic for any section of the opposition to be calling for military intervention or an unconstitutional take over of government through the so-called interim national government. That is totally strange to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and we shall resist such illegality to the last man standing”.
He further declared, “We are not in a hurry to depart from this space because we cannot afford to allow unpatriotic elements and anti-democratic renegades take over this place with their pre-conceived evil agenda to plunge our country into intractable crisis. We remain steadfast and unshaken in our resolve to ensure that the May 29th inauguration takes place without any hiccups.”
While responding, Seyi Tinubu said he was really impressed by the array of multicultural displays from across the country he met at the Unity Fountain.
He joined in the cultural dances and mingled freely with the crowds, who cheered him on as he personally carried some of the cultural artefacts and danced with them.
“You are the true champions of our democracy, ” he declared.
“I am so happy to meet so many Nigerians of varied cultures and languages collaborating to protect our democracy and the cause of justice. I am perfectly sure that your labour of patriotism shall not be in vain. This is Unity Fountain and we must encourage and preserve the unity of this country to which my dad is unequivocally committed. Let us always pray for this country and work hard for its success.”
The Conveners declared that the rally continues day and night until further notice.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
