, by kehinde Akinpelu, ilorin
IGP
As the clamour for restructuring becomes a major political issue in the race to 2019 presidential election, a Yoruba socio-political organization, Odua Peoples Care Initiatives (OPCI) has lend its full weigth in support of the agitation.
The National President of OPCI, Dr. Maruf Salam Olanrewaju disclosed this as the outcome of the organization’s meeting held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital at the weekend.
The organization charged president Muhammadu Buhari to listen to thw clamour of those Nigerians agitating for it as the best policy for the nation so that peace can continue to reign in the country
OPCI also called on Nigerians to eschew any act that will impede the peaceful conduct of 2019 General Elections
According to its National President, Dr Olarewaju, “the time has come for the political class in the country to eschew politics of bitterness and rancour and realise from the onset that no matter the number of contestants involved in the contest,only one of them would emerge victorious at the end. Therefore they should not take it as a do or die affair.
Appealing to the İndependent National Electroral Commission (İNEC) to prove its independence and justify the huge resources on conducting elections as well as production of Permanent Voters Cards(PVC) in making sure that peoples vote counts and organising the best elections ever in the history of the country.
Olanrewaju also called on the electorate to exercise their civic rights by coming out to vote for candidates of their choice pointing out that boycotting of elections or adopting a ” sit – at- home” will do the country no good saying that it is time for them to show to the whole world that we have learnt from our past mistakes and our democracy is developing every day.
On the various political parties manifestoes,he said that the organisation will support any candidate that is genuinely committed to restructuring of the country and accord traditional institutions its pride of place in the country.
According to him state police is the best solution to minimixe crime and criminality in the country. He called on Nigerians to see Nigeria as their country and be ready to remain there and salvage it together adding that all hands must be on deck to regularise all irregularities in our political affairs in other to make the country great.
According to him,government should try as much as possible to ensure free and fair elections come 2019,and that the independent National electoral commissions truely independent on their own without interfering during the process.
Meanwhile, the meeting also led to Ifa festival with warning to the state governments not to allow politics lead the country to chaos
