The Nigerian opposition coalition(Coalition of United Political Parties CUPP) on Friday condemned the tenure elongation plot of the Guinean President Alpha Conde and the killing of over 20 protesters by the Guinean Police.
CUPP in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja by its Spokesperson, Barrister Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the Coalition condemned “the violent response of the Police who are using live ammunition on their armless fellow citizens and the arbitrary arrest and detention of opposition leaders.”
It, therefore, called on the International Criminal Court to beam its searchlight on Conakry and ensure that everyone responsible for the avoidable deaths of those Guineans was made to pay for their actions.
The Coalition mourned the martyrs of African democracy and called on all well-meaning Guineans not to let their blood which had been shed in pursuit of democracy not to be in vain.
According to CUPP, “it is equally disheartening that the APC led Federal Government and Chieftains of the Party are allegedly supporting President Alpha Conde on this his ignoble and undemocratic path which he is walking. It is presumptive of a similar plot which is in the works at the Aso Rock Villa and Blantyre Street Secretariat of the ruling party.
“But the APC should know that just like the people of Guinea will successfully resist President Alpha Conde, Nigerians will also successfully resist any plot on tenure elongation by the ruling APC.
“The plotters of a third term agenda in Nigeria will only come to discover that they were daydreaming and not in tune with reality and political advancement of Nigeria and Africa
“Thinking that helping Alpha Conde to succeed will brighten their chances is tantamount to living in a fool’s paradise.
“We call on all democrats wherever they may be in Nigeria to dedicate prayers to the people of Guinea for their liberation from a tyrant in our Mosques today Friday, 18th October 2019 and our churches on Sunday 20th October 2019.
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“Nigerian opposition will stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Guinea to stand against the desecration of the constitutional democracy of which President Alpha Conde is the greatest beneficiary.
CUPP further said “The Nigeria Opposition wish to hail Guinea Former prime minister Cellou Diallo for his numerous patriotic sacrifice for the advancement and protection of democracy in Guinea and urged the International community and Guinean People to rally behind Cellou and other opposition figures to liberate Guinea and save it from total collapse in the hands of Conde.
” President Muhammadu Buhari is hereby called upon to reiterate the fundamental principle of state policy to his colleague Alpha Conde and let him know that Nigeria and indeed all of Africa is indeed committed to strengthening and deepening democracy.
“This will also go a long way in reassuring Nigerians that the evidence of moves in high places in Nigeria for a similar third term plot is not enjoying the support of the President
“Such a statement from Nigeria will also alert the Guinean President that he will not have support from Africa and that no humanitarian help will get to him,” CUPP said.
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