2015: Groups want Balewa’s son to challenge Jonathan

Ahead of the 2015 general elections, a group of about 68 organisations, under the aegis of Nigerians for Change, on Saturday in Abuja called on Dr. Abduljhalil Tafawa Balewa, son of the late nationalist and Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to challenge President Goodluck Jonathan for the Presidency.

The groups have indeed given Balewa a 21-day ultimatum within which he should declare for the Presidency, failing which they threatened “to organise a one million man march to compel him to do so.”

The groups said the son of the late Prime Minister was a competent and unadulterated leader, who they said had the political will and technical knowhow to lead Nigeria to the Promised Land.

National Coordinator of the NFC, Prince Dele Oluajo, said, “Whosoever is observant of the socio-economic and political terrain in Nigeria has no option than to subscribe to the popular belief that things are retrogressively derailing in the richly endowed country, which our founding fathers laboured hard to build.

“Our economy is in shambles; politics is in the most unprecedentedly dangerous dimension of its adulteration with ethno religious bigotry. Seeds of social discord have germinated so well that their roots are shaking the foundation of unity, cohesion and tranquil congeniality.”

Also speaking, Dr. Umara Alkali, lamented that while most Nigerians in the Diaspora had been expressing their willingness to come back home to contribute to national development, “the situation of things in the country has not improved but only keep getting worse.”

He cited the state of power, roads, health sector and insecurity adding that unless these problems were solved, it would discourage foreign investment as well as the homecoming of Nigerians in the Diaspora.

Several speakers representing diverse interests/ethnic groups and organisations made presentations at the briefing, with a unanimous decision that Balewa should contest for the Presidency.