NANNAN-H-12
Candidate
By Moses Omorogieva
Lagos, Sept. 23, 2017 (NAN) A coalition of 16 civil society organisations on Saturday in Lagos signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at supporting a credible candidate for the 2019 presidential election.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the national working committees of each of the groups signed the MOU at the event tagged ” Who Will Save Nigeria ”.
The groups included Champions Youths Development Association of Nigeria. (CHYDAN), Congress for Independent Democracy (CID), United Women Ambassadors of Nigeria (UWAN), Congress for Accountability and Transparency (CAT), Association of Ideal Mothers (AIM), and Zule Zoo Foundation (ZZF).
Others were National Youths Alliance of Nigeria (NAYAN), Women for Positive Change (WPC), Association of Youth Presidents (AYP), Millennium Youths (MY), Obons Organization (OO), One Nigeria Movement (ONM), Reformation Forum (RF), Colliation of Northern Youths Movement (CNYM), Young Stars of Nigeria (YSN) and Holy Women of Nigeria (HWN).
Chief Zekeri Bamaiyi, Convener of the forum and CHYDAN President, said the groups came together to mobilise, choose and support credible candidate for the 2019 presidential election.
He said that the MOU would provide the groups the opportunity to canvass massively and prepare for peaceful elections in 2019 and beyond.
Bamaiyi advised the groups’ leaders to shun interest in any political party, stressing that 2019 presidential election was all about credibility.
He urged the youths to imbibe political culture in order to prepare them for future leadership and called on group leaders to build strong relationship with the grassroots.
“Ensure that your supporters are law abiding and shun any act that violates the laws of the land,” he said.
The founder of Association of Ideal Mothers (AIM), Mrs Adisa Temitope, blamed parents, particularly mothers, for bad leadership in Nigeria.
Alisa said that poor upbringing of children was responsible for looting and syphoning of the nation’s resources by political leaders.
“A failed family is a failed nation. Leaders are born through women and not made from heaven.
“We are in full support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti corruption war and the ongoing Change Begins With Me campaign.
“Parents should always monitor their children and ensure proper upbringing with a view to have God fearing leaders in future, “Alisa said.
For Mr Umar Isma’il, Founder of Congress for Independent Democracy (CID), the youths should eschew all forms of violence, urging them to do their best to ensure political stability of the country.
Umar advised the youths to stand for the truth, fairness and warned them to avoid being used by politicians.
“To build the Nigeria of our dreams, we must do away with our differences. Those who fought for Nigeria’s Independence came together as one united family and saw themselves as true brothers and sisters,” he noted.
The national president of United Women Ambassadors of Nigeria (UWAN), Ann Mary, expressed gratitude for the groups’ collaboration and lamented the low interest of women in politics.
“Women who don’t have voter’s card should go to the nearest local government and register: The voter’s card is our weapon in 2019 elections,” she added. (NAN)
MIO/WOJ
(Edited by Wale Ojetimi)