Those lined up to lead and speak at the rally tagged ‘Enough is enough’ include Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; former Kaduna State governor, Alhaji Balarabe Musa; the Ikemba Nnewi, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Pastor of the Later Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare.
Others are Mallam Farouk Adamu, Mr. Solomon Asemota (SAN), Mallam Uba Sani, Mr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Hajiya Najatu Mohammed, Prof. Pat Utomi, Pastor Sarah Omakwu, Mr. Femi Falana, Mr. Olawale Oshun, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, Mrs. Ayo Obe, Mallam Naseer Kura, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, Mr. Uche Onyeogocha, and Mr. Clement Nwankwo, among others.
Coming together under the aegis of ‘Save Nigeria Group,’ the protesters are also expected to press against what they described as power vacuum in the country, vacillation over electoral reforms, terror tag on Nigerians and corruption.
According to a statement signed by Mr. Fred Agbeyegbe, Mallam Buba Galadima, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, Mallam Tanko Yunusa and Mallam Salihu Lukman on behalf of the organisers, the rally will take off from Unity Fountain, near Transcorp Hotel, Central Business District, Abuja and terminate at the National Assembly Complex.
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, who spoke in his Ilawe-Ekiti, Ekiti State hometown on Saturday, confirmed that the rally was to protest against many of the problems facing the country.
He said, “We are starting a series of protests on Tuesday in Abuja. The government must be forced to address issues such as 6,000 megawatts of electricity and absentee President. We will challenge the policy that allows those on level 16 and above to go abroad for medical checks and treatment. It is discriminatory and we will resist it. The people in government are too comfortable; we must force them to do the right thing.”
Another member of the SNG, who is also the spokesman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said the rally was meant to prod members of the National Assembly out of what he called their docility and save Nigeria’s democracy.
He stated that the nation was gradually becoming a failed state on account of the power vacuum occasioned by the absence of the President.
He said, “The National Assembly has the power to make a resolution inviting the President’s personal doctor to know the state of his health. They also have the leverage to visit Yar’Adua and know his state of health.
“Under section 144, the Federal Executive Council is expected to make the request, but since they are accountable to the President by virtue of their appointment, the mass action against the National Assembly seems to be the best option to save our democracy.”
The SNG member further contended that the President had violated the constitution by not writing to the National Assembly to inform it about his long absence from office and failure to hand over power to Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan.
Also, an online news agency, Saharareporters.com, reported on Sunday that the London leg of the rally which was initially billed to hold on January 8, had been shifted to Friday, January 15.
Representatives of the SNG in London were said to have met with the Metropolitan Police in London on Friday where it was agreed that the rally be shifted because of the growing interests among Nigerians to attend.
Listed among sponsors of the London rally are the Nigeria Liberty Forum, Action Congress United Kingdom, Unity and Positive Change in New Nigeria, Champions for Nigeria, Arise Nigeria, Women of Africa and Citizen for Change.
Spokesman of one of the groups, AC-UK, Mr. Remi Idowu, in a statement e-mailed to one of our correspondents on Sunday said, “The rally on Friday is about where President Yar’Adua is; dead or alive? The NEC and the National Assembly should respect and adhere to the constitution; accede to the vice-president’s taking over.
“The rally also wants Sovereign National Conference now and finally the terrorist stigma. The country is drifting without a clear direction and leader whose whereabouts we don’t know. The current situation could give a wrong signal for a suspension of the constitution by military opportunists.”
Pro-democracy activist and one of the leaders of the defunct Pro-National Conference Organisations, Mr. Bisi Adegbuyi, said of the rally, “The civil populace must vigorously engage members of the National Assembly to be alive to their responsibilities to ensure the immediate abatement of the serial violation of the constitution, the ‘Federal Extravaganza Council’ having timidly failed to do same.”
Meanwhile, the Senate will on Tuesday take a decision on the continuous absence of the President.
The Deputy Senate President, Mr. Ike Ekweremadu, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Minna, Niger State capital, on Sunday shortly after paying a condolence visit to a former Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, over the death of his wife, Maryam.
He said, “By Tuesday, the Senate will rise up to the occasion and take a decisive action over the continuous absence of the President. Nigerians should look out for what will happen and let’s wait and see where the pendulum will swing.”
Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba (SAN), had attempted to move a motion on the President’s health late last year but his colleagues refused.
But attempts to confirm from some of those billed to speak at the protest rally were unsuccessful. While Soyinka was said to have travelled out of the country and was billed to return on Monday ahead of the Tuesday’s rally, calls made to Ojukwu’s telephone were not answered.
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