May 29: Nigeria Is Not A Jungle, Natives Caution NLC, Others

A pro-democracy multi-ethnic organisation, The Natives, has told the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that Nigeria is not a jungle where there is no law and order, saying president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be inaugurated in a grand style contrary to all the threats ahead of the May 29 event.

According to The Natives, which is made up of different ethnic groups, cultures, Languages and tribes across Nigeria with over twenty million members nationwide, the Joe Ajaero-led NLC lied that it will scuttle inauguration of the president-elect as the 16th Nigerian President on May 29.

A Northern group under the umbrella of Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) had alleged that it uncovered plans by the leadership of the NLC in connection with some groups to scuttle Tinubu’s inauguration.

Ajaero had in his May Day speech accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of conducting a flawed general elections that produced Tinubu as president-elect.

But in a statement it issued yesterday in Abuja, the Supreme Leader of the Natives, Hon Smart Edwards, said the NLC has lost credibility to speak for all Nigerians since it chose to be partisan in the last general election.

Edwards noted that Tinubu was not a novice or accidental politician, adding that rather, he is an accomplished political icon, a strategist and an asset to the Nation’s democracy, economy and global development.

He warned those nursing plans to forment trouble before the inauguration, including the NLC, to perish such thought.

Edwards stated: “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”.

While commending the government of United States of America on the recent phone conversation with the president-elect, The Natives said ut 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 albeit politically expedient.

“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.”

Edwards added that for NLC to reclaim its 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 labor movement, stampeding TINUBU inauguration is impossible, because there are far many Nigerians that are excited and attracted to the Renewed Hope mandate than are in Labuor 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.

It continued: “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 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.”