Mr. Dumebi Kachikwu, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, pleaded with striking lecturers on Tuesday night to consider the plight of Nigerian students and return to the classroom despite the Buhari administration’s failure to meet their demands.
Kachikwu made the request at an emergency meeting of the party’s National Executive Council in Abuja.
The politician, who addressed the various challenges that the current administration has imposed on Nigerians, stated that there was hope for a new Nigeria under the ADC government next year.
Given the frequency of jailbreaks and mass killings of innocent Nigerians in churches and other locations with no response from the government, Kachikwu described the current administration as a disaster.
“Under Buhari’s administration, Nigeria has witnessed unprecedented calamity second only to the Nigeria civil war,” Kachikwu said.
Tales of woe come from Taraba, Kogi, Niger, Abuja, Katsina, Zamfara, Borno, Sokoto, Kaduna, Ondo, Imo, and Anambra. Many mothers are inconsolable. Many a wife has suffered. Many families have been left to mourn in silence and helplessly. No one has lost their job as a result of this. There has been no resignation of a minister, national security adviser, or president. A nation’s shame What happened to us? We reduce the dead to numbers such as scores, dozens, and hundreds. Were they not given names?
“Today’s terrorists will kill us tomorrow.” Today’s religion in politics will divide us tomorrow. Today’s politics and politicians will govern us tomorrow. We will be destroyed by the hatred we breed today. We can’t avoid these realities. Let us take immediate action to save Nigeria.
“Let us speak as one. Don’t let them split us apart. Don’t let them switch parties and fool you. Don’t let them fool you by changing logos. They have done it if they have been there. Remove them.
When I declared my intention to run for the highest office in the land several months ago, I knew it was a suicide mission. I was aware of what was at stake. I had no doubts about the abilities of the more well-known parties. I expected the hound dogs to pursue me.
Nigerians are hungry, suffering, and afraid. This is the hill that lies ahead of us. We must recognise that before we can discuss elections, we must first have a country. Who will come to Nigeria’s rescue? Who will save Nigeria from its current regime? Who will save Nigerians? You.
Today we must start over. Today, we must forge a new path. Today, we must decide whether or not to fight for Nigeria. Today, we must fight for our own survival. Let us look within ourselves for the strength to begin again. We must reclaim our country from these villains. We must repel any and all invaders.
We must defend our lands, cities, and country one block at a time. This is our patriotic responsibility. We will no longer be divided by religion, tribe, or language. Those who have destroyed our country come from all tribes, tongues, and religions, and we must not be misled. They constitute a minority. We are the overwhelming majority. We have suffered and endured for far too long and must continue to do so.
They’ll entice you. They will make statements. They will claim that they have evolved. They will make threats to you. They are going to beat you. They’ll lock you up. Whatever they do to you, just bear it because, in a short time, in the near future, our small voices, actions, protests, plans, and groups will combine to form a powerful rescue mission to save our nation.
You must keep going. We must keep going. In your communities, architects and urban designers form groups. Create a master plan for the community that you want to see in your city. Engineers gather in your various cities to design the infrastructure we require. Create the power grids that we require. Begin with a design. Begin with a plan.
Contribute your quota to a new and better constitution that divides us rather than the corrupt one that currently divides us, lawyers, civil society groups, men and women of good will.
“Lecturers return to their classes. You have previously made sacrifices. One more sacrifice for the sake of our children. This government cannot meet your demands. They have no money. They cannot give what they lack.
“Please return to class and protect our children’s future.” Nobody seems to care that our medical personnel are fleeing the country in droves. Who will be working in our hospitals? Who will take care of the sick?
“Are we going to rely on quacks for our healthcare?” No.
Today is the day for us to take a stand for Nigeria. “It’s the right thing to do,” said Kachikwu.
When his party wins the election next year, he promises to rebuild Nigeria and make it work for all, regardless of tribe, tongue, religion, or political affiliation.
Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, National Chairman of ADC, boasted that the party was on a mission to awaken Nigeria from its slumber, make it work better for all, and instil pride and hope in Nigerians.
