Wale Akinselure
The National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) has stressed that the coalition has no existing branch in the United States of America (USA).
Secretary, NADECO, Ayo Opadokun stated this on Thursday against the backdrop of a statement credited to NADECO USA authored by one Lyoyd U. Ukuwu, issued on February 28.
In Thursday’s statement, Opadokun blasted the said Ukuwu for using NADECO to push a “pernicious, narrow ethnic supremacist agenda.”
Opadokun described it as baffling that the same Ukuwu had in August 2022 issued a statement claiming to be representing NADECO USA which the NADECO disclaimed then.
Opadokun stressed that the NADECO ceased having branches abroad when at the global conference of the organization presided over by its then Leader, Chief Anthony Enahoro at Virginia, USA in October/November 1999, it resolved to wind down its international operations and activities henceforth.
Since then, the NADECO secretary said there had not been either a discussion or decision to reopen any office outside Nigeria.
Opadokun condemned attempts by any said individual or group to commit perjury by using other people’s names or platforms to canvass chosen views and opinions.
Opadokun in the statement said: “As was stated in last year’s statement, NADECO since 1999 has closed its international operations. Therefore, any purported statement issued by this impostor and perjuring NADECO should be ignored and treated with contempt as it deserves henceforth.
“NADECO therefore hereby informs the general public, both local and general, that NADECO as a body of respected statesmen, civil and military, ethnic nationality leaders, civil society organizations, religious and traditional rulers, women, youth, academia, professional groups e.t.c which presented itself to the public in May 1994 has no connection whatsoever with the so-called NADECO, USA, which bore no address or attribution.
“It was a fact that in 1998, most NADECO members abroad and at home insisted on having a National Conference to discuss and resolve the national question particularly as it related to a return to federal constitutional governance upon which Nigeria secured its independence on October 1960, before any election, but we eventually participated to have a political base to creditably further our noble campaign.
“As God would have it, one of our most distinguished leaders who ran a purposeful and productive two-term governance of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has just emerged victorious as the newly democratically elected President-Elect of Nigeria in the February 25, 2023, presidential election.
“NADECO is conversant with the fact that after elections in our clime, there are always the democratically availed avenues to seek redress for those who are not satisfied with whatever declaration was made. And so those opposed to the recent declaration are already approaching the judiciary as of right.
“It’s therefore reprehensible for an impostor who was never part of NADECO when it operated internationally to be perjuring our hard-earned name for clannish, ethnic agenda and revisionism.”
The NADECO also congratulated Senator Bola Tinubu on his victory in the February 25 election, urging him to utilize his opportunity to right the many wrongs in Nigeria.
Among others, the coalition urged Tinubu to see to the implementation of federal constitutional governance which he had fought for both as part of the NADECO in the trenches and as a two-term governor of Lagos.
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