Some tribal leaders across the country have warned the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) against any subterranean plan to work with an opposition political party to scuttle the inauguration of Bola Tinubu, the President-elect, as the 16th Nigerian President on May 29.
The pro-democracy and anti-sabotage organisation under the aegis of The Natives, said a Northern group, the Arewa Youth Assembly AYA had uncovered plans by some groups to actualize the ulterior motive against Tinubu’s inauguration.
Ajaero had in his May Day speech accused the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC of working in cahoots “with some members of our political class has driven a death nail into the democratic experience of most Nigerians, thus, leaving the electorate despondent to resort to self-help in their effort to salvage whatever is left of their vibrant political engagement with the 2023 elections”.
“Unfortunately, the majority of Nigerians, especially the youths, who fought with patriotism to reset their country through the ballot box, are now wondering if elections have not become the tool for legitimising the corrupt takeover of Nigeria,” he had stated.
However, in a statement issued Sunday in Abuja, the Supreme Leader of The Natives, Hon. Smart Edwards, said Nigeria is not a jungle where there is no law and order, declaring Tinubu will be inaugurated in grand style contrary to all the threats.
The Natives is made up of different ethnic groups, cultures, Languages and tribes across Nigeria with over twenty million members nationwide.
Edward said NLC has lost credibility to speak for all Nigerians since it chose to be partisan in the last general election.
According to Edwards, “Tinubu is not a novice and also not an accidental politician, but 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.
“We are The Natives of all tribes and languages. We are the real voters and we cannot 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 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 centered negotiations of NLC. We all believed in the Labour union in the past, their tactics and even their combative actions but today it has led itself into a quagmire.
“2023 election chronicles their decline from speaking for all, the helpless, poor and disenfranchised citizens, to becoming 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 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 awashed 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 its 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, scuttling Tinubu’s inauguration is impossible, because there are far many Nigerians that are excited and attracted to the Renewed Hope mandate than are in the Labour movement or its party.”