Daily Independent Online.
* Monday, May 03, 2004.
Buhari, Ojukwu,
Falae lead mass protest today
" US pledges observer role "
Another rally in New York
By
Oguwike Nwachuku,
Assistant Editor, News
and
Habib Aruna
Assistant Political Editor, Lagos
Nigerians home and abroad may march out today in what would be the largest and unprecedented concentration
of minds on what the rally organisers describe as bad governance and stolen elections.
On the local front, former military head of state, Muhammadu Buhari, and one time leader of defunct
Republic of Biafra, Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, are among other prominent people expected to lead the protest, organised
by Nigerians United for Democracy (NUD) ceded to it by the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP).
Brethren in far away New York, the United States have also concluded arrangement to hold a similar
one in Brooklyn.
Co-ordinator of Nigeria Liberty Forum (NLF), New York, Omoyele Sowore, said in a telephone interview
that it is in solidarity with the one planned by NUD.
Besides stomping against the critics
regular fare, both Buhari and Ojukwu have their own rather poignant grouses against Aso Rock, the seat of power.
They contested the Presidency in the general elections last year; Buhari on the platform of the All
Nigeria People
s Party (ANPP) and Ojukwu under the flat of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA); which they insist President
Olusegun Obasanjo won by crook.
Other critics expected to raise the decibel level from the front rear include governor of old Kaduna
State, Balarabe Musa, and former Finance Minister, Olu Falae.
All prominent personalities expected to play key roles in the exercise arrived the Federal Capital
Territory (FCT), Abuja, Friday to fine-tune the preparations.
The strength of their commitment was said to have encouraged Buhari to write to the Presidency for
security provision, backed by Ojukwu who reportedly advised the government to protect the rally participants.
A fortnight ago, Inspector General of Police (IG), Tafa Balogun, directed all commands to scuttle
the rally as well as keep an eye on CNPP leaders, based on orders from the Presidency. However, there were indications
from police high command weekend that the protest organisers and participants may not now be arrested.
The ideal thing is for the police to march with them until the exercise is over and that may not
be ruled out during the rally, a deputy inspector general of police (DIG) said.
He stressed that while the directive is constitutional, such rallies cannot be ruled out in a democracy.
CNPP Secretary General Maxi Okwu confirmed that, among others, Buhari, Ojukwu and Falae will lead
march, and that the United States and other foreign countries have accepted to play observer roles.
The United States in particular and other foreign nations have assured us that they are watching
and observing, Okwu said, adding that the meeting the government had with some groups Sunday failed because only
four political parties out of 30 attended with some Non Governmental Orgnisations (NGOs).
According to him, the police do not have a choice than to ensure that the rally is hitch free as the
mass protest is about three non-negotiable issues: desecration of the ballot box, anti-people policy and bad governance
and insecurity.
Okwu regretted that the police are playing politics with the application CNPP submitted for a rally
permit and for security support, whereas in overseas Balogun would have resigned, because as a lawyer, he is misinterpreting
the Constitution to suit the desires of those who gave him his job.
But the truth is that, the police and other security agencies should be ready to arrest Buhari, Ojukwu,
Falae and others because they will all be there for the masses.
Sowore in New York stressed that given the failure of the present administration to address some basic
problems confronting the nation, no Nigerian in any part of the world could pretend that things are going on well
in the land.
Said he: We are calling a rally of Nigerians today in Brooklyn, New York, on the state of the nation
and to mobilise Nigerians all over the world and in all the crannies of the United States.
We urge Labour, students and all genuine pro-democracy movements, including professional organisations,
to support the mass action enmasse.
To him, the denial of a rally permit by
the police shows that Balogun is serving the state rather than being responsible to the people, which confirms
that the police are an appendage of the Presidency and Balogun is only playing back to his boss after his refusal
to sack him on an alleged corrupt practices.
