The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), has condemned strongly the call by a group that calls itself “Emerging Leaders Forum” that its Spokesman, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere be arrested and prosecuted for allegedly making inciting statements with a plan to topple the APC/Buhari government.
The group, in a press conference in Abuja addressed by one Godstime Samuel, called for the immediate arrest of Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere by the security agencies within seven days failing which the members threatened to effect his arrest by themselves.
However, in a response by the CUPP, in a statement from its Co-Spokesperson, Comrade Mark Adebayo said, “We have become aware of the clandestine campaign of calumny being perfected by the Party in power to take our spokesman out of circulation as was seen by the amateurish and poorly attended Press Conference by a faceless group that called itself Emerging Leaders Forum.”
According to Adebayo, there is no genuine Nigerian Youth organisation that could descend into such an abyss of abysmal abnormality calling for the head of a foremost Youth activist such as Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere who until recently led the Nigerian Youth Council with unequalled sterling performances and unprecedented capacity and remains active within various Youth groups across the country.
The Coalition therefore, “make bold to say that there is no patriotic Nigerian youth who can be proud of the current aggravated incompetence and retrogressive governance which has produced devastating insecurity, economic meltdown, massive youth unemployment, and generalised crises of unprecedented proportions in sub-Saharan Africa.”
The release further stated that, “No responsible young person could endorse such unmitigated disaster that the current government has unleashed on this country that is threatening the very existence of a great country like Nigeria except an irresponsible and hungry group of hoodlums hurriedly assembled to carry out such a disgraceful hatchet’s job for the sake of a day’s meal ticket.”
The statement reads further thus:
“At least now, we know who to trace and hold responsible for any attacks on Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere. We are not taking lightly this direct threat to the life of our spokesperson by this faceless criminal group that issued what amounts to a death threat on Ikenga and we will approach it with all the seriousness it demands through all legal means because CUPP is not a clandestine lawless opposition coalition.
“We are a coalition of responsible, patriotic and credible Nigerians with the singular objective of rescuing Nigeria from bad governance through constitutional and democratic means and put Nigeria on the path of rapid development to rival the most advanced nations on earth. This cannot be a crime. For the last two years of its existence, the CUPP has conducted its affairs within the purview of international best practices of opposition activism and has employed strictly legal means, including court actions, to seek redresses to its concerns. Never has the opposition coalition carried out any of its activities outside the confines of law and never will. This ridiculous attempt to call a dog a bad name to hang it is dead on arrival.
“For the avoidance of doubt, these latest threats will never dampen our spirit to speak the minds of millions of Nigerians for whom we represent hope and the voice of the voiceless. We shall not succumb to the cheap blackmail and threats by a government that has totally failed on all indices of the basic performance of governance and the opprobrious activities of its shameless attack dogs, internal collaborators and fifth columnists. We shall not be silenced by a motley crowd of discombobulated invalids who have chosen the destructive path of ignominy and despicable perversion. They will be consumed by the corrosive slimes of their treacherous vocation.
“As a foremost opposition coalition, the CUPP in the coming days shall wax stronger and be more active than ever. No retreat and no surrender in our steady march towards achieving greatness for our beloved Nigeria. We are fully aware that all the threats and consistent attacks on the CUPP by the enemies of our country are for the purpose of weakening the opposition before the 2023 elections which we are positioned to win. We are not unmindful of the recent concerted efforts to infiltrate and compromise the coalition from within in order to deplete its ranks and weaken it, but that has also failed woefully. For the avoidance of doubt, we shall continue to be stronger and more united and focused on the historic assignments that have been thrust on us.
“Rather than persecuting the opposition, the government should do the country a favour by concentrating whatever energy it has left on fighting escalating insecurity, economic meltdown and the massive corruption scandals bedevilling its administration. The opposition is not your problem; it is your incompetence and visionlessness. Modern nations are run by perfectly envisioned, creative and proactive leaders with a sophisticated mind-set and creative foresight, not by intellectually incapacitated and parochial leadership.
“We urge Nigerians to remain hopeful as their trauma will soon become history when the opposition takes control of government in 2023 by your collective mandate to be freely given through the elections. We fully support Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere and other opposition leaders who have remained steadfast and committed to achieving the greatness that Nigeria was destined to reach.
“Having made such open threats of violence against our spokesman, we call on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohamed Adamu, to order the immediate arrest of Godstime Samuel before he carries out his threats on the life of our spokesman as it is the constitutional responsibility of the Nigerian Police to ensure the safety of all Nigerians irrespective of political affiliations. The police cannot allow such an open threat to the life of a Nigerian citizen go unchallenged unless it has itself been compromised to look the other way”.
