UPDATED: Oyinlola, Duke, Tafawa Balewa’s son launch coalition in Abuja ahead of 2019

UPDATED: Oyinlola, Duke, Tafawa Balewa’s son launch coalition in Abuja ahead of 2019

- Former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun state and other prominent Nigerians have launched Coalition For Nigeria Movement (CNM) ahead of 2019

- The Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had recently called for a movement before 2019 general election

- But Oyinlola said that CNM has nothing to do with Obasanjo

Barely two weeks after former President Olusegun Obasanjo dismissed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and advocated for the formation of Coalition for Nigeria Movement, a movement was on Wednesday, January 31, launched at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

Legit.ng gathered that the coalition was quick to dismiss insinuation that it was rolling out Obasanjo’s script, adding that it is an independent movement aimed at moving Nigeria forward.

Former governors Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun state and Donald Duke of Cross-River state were among many notable politicians and youth leaders from across Nigeria who came together on Wednesday, January 31, in Abuja to launch a new movement, Coalition For Nigeria Movement (CNM).

UPDATED: Oyinlola, Duke, Tafawa Balewa’s son launch coalition in Abuja ahead of 2019
Former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun state, Ex-governor of Cross Rivers, Donald Duke during the launch of the movement in Abuja

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had in his open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, advocated for the formation of a coalition which will serve as the third force in the country.

The former president said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition PDP had failed Nigerians.

Present at the Abuja press conference were: Former PDP chairman, Ahmadu Ali, Alhaji Buba Galadima and Bashorun Segun Runsewe, Akin Osuntokun, among many other prominent Nigerians.

But speaking at the launch of CNM, former governor Oyinlola said the “movement was not launched to legitimise OBJ’s legacies.”

Prince Oyinlola said though the messages raised in the Obasanjo letter were true and should be looked into, the launch of the movement was just a coincidence.

He said he and other notable Nigerians felt “the time has come that the youths should take the lead while the elders only provide guidance.”

He said they believed that the leadership of Nigeria should be given only to those who really have the interest of the country at hearts.

Oyinlola, who is a board member of the ruling APC, said the time is now for youthful politicians and other youth leaders from across the country to take their destinies in their own hands and save Nigeria from collapse.

He said: “We are forming the movement to give the youths the chance to savage the country. We, the elders will only provide guidance. We will be doing these together to savage Nigeria from total collapse.

“This is not a political party, at least for now. If it must turn into a political party, it must be the collective decision of all of us in the movement. Let me also add that we are not formed to legitimise OBJ legacies.”

Former governor Donald Duke in his remarks said sincere politicians were few in the country.

“What we have are those who just want to get to power, and they need just any political party”, he said.

He called on the youths to join the movement and rescue the country.

He reiterated that the youths would be the leaders of the movement, not any old politician.

The son of a former Nigerian Prime Minister, Abduljalil Tafawa Balewa said youths are now waking up from their slumbers with the formation of the movement.

Tafawa Balewa, who is the co-chairman of the movement for North, added that new dawn had been born in the country.

The movement according to Duke seeks to promote and ensure socio-economic development, growth social justice.

The Coalition for Nigeria Movement is a movement that seeks to promote and ensure Socio-economic development, improvement, growth, social justice, egalitarianism, cohesion, cooperation, equity, equality of opportunity, transparency, societal order, rule of law, human security and human rights leading to national unity, good governance and general well-being and welfare of all citizens and inhabitants of Nigeria, a statement said.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that the Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM) had commenced a drive to welcome new coalitions, groups, and others to its Third Force initiative just as Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s own version of the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) is to be launched.

Daily Trust reports that the NIM’s deputy director-general (media and publicity bureau), Mallam Naseer Kura, said his group is ready to welcome new members and groups. In a statement, Kura reportedly said events in recent times had shown the swift and positive response of Nigerians to the philosophy and message of the movement.

“This is underscored by the recent, historic statement by a former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, whose clarion call on like-minded Nigerians from different states and regions of the federation, different religious beliefs and backgrounds, groups of Nigerians from different professional and sectorial leanings should come together to create an environment for the realisation of the citizens’ potentials and aspirations.

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Source: Legit.ng

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