Pro-government rallies, reminiscent of the Abacha era, are on their way back in the country.
This time, they will be at the instance of Nollywood stars whose delegation met yesterday in Abuja with the National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) ,Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to work out the modalities.
The project is planned to include ‘peace’ rallies and concerts in the six geo-political zones, according to leader of the delegation, Emeka Ike.
It is expected to be in collaboration with celebrities in the music industry and Nigerian footballers.
The organisers said the rallies would be geared toward addressing the drifting socio-political situation in the country.
Ike told the party chairman that the stars would mobilise Nigerian youths on the need for togetherness and peaceful coexistence in the country, most especially at the grassroots.
The artists said the planned rallies would also focus on the need for the PDP to resolve its internal crises so that the ruling party could focus on governance in the interest of the Nigerian people.
According to them, a module has been developed for infusing the culture of responsiveness and national interest in political office holders in the land.
The event, they added, would also feature renowned footballers like Celestine Babayaro and music stars like 2-Face Idibia.
The rallies will be preceded by a press conference in Abuja on Monday followed by mobilisation of Nollywood and football stars to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, which has been the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Ike said: “We would round off by mobilising the Nigerian youths, including Nollywood, football and music stars in our country to Maiduguri to campaign for peace”.
Tukur expressed delight in the move by the stars to champion the cause of peace and national reconciliation in the country and urged other Nigerian youths to join the train.
The party chairman said he was of the conviction that the stars could repackage Nigeria for a better image, stressing that the country was in dire need of such packaging at this point in history.
He encouraged the stars to embark on the planned rally and promised to lend the required inspiration towards the success of the rally.
“I am aware that you people have conquered Africa because your movies are being watched across Africa and the rest of the world. “Today, I want to encourage you to take ownership of your successes and move over to be global citizens,”the chairman said.
A pro-government rally took place on October 6 at the Murtala Muhammed Square in Kaduna to solicit support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s alleged bid to contest the 2015 election.
However, the gathering tagged Northern Youth Rally ended in chaos after the participants began demanding their “share of the money,” the organisers allegedly collected from the presidency.
Security operatives took away an official of the Northern Youth Forum (NYF) from the venue to prevent him from being lynched by the angry youths who threw sand, stones and sachet water at him.
The youths shouted: “Give us our own share, give us our own share.”
On August 25, the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, locked down the Federal Capital Territory metropolis with what she described as a mass rally and carnival organised to take “stock of the gains recorded so far in the empowerment of Nigerian women and the quest for peace in the country”.
The rally was the brain child of the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) in collaboration with the office of the First Lady of the Federation.
The programme was organised as part of the ongoing underground campaign for President Jonathan’s 2015 presidential ambition.
The women wore dresses with pictures of President Jonathan .
Source: The Nation
