A newly formed political pressure group known as Conference of Opposition Political Parties in Nigeria (COPIN) has expressed its determination to end political brigandage, rigging, unlawful allocation of votes, electoral thuggery and other undemocratic vices by pushing for electoral and judicial reforms.
The convener of the group, Sen. Dino Melaye while addressing the journalist at the end of its inaugural meeting on Friday in Abuja expressed worry that the elections have becomes a very shameful exercise adding that the group is determined to rescue the country from all the vices that characterized the last election by pushing for necessary amendments that will make it extremely impossible for even the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from tampering with election results.
He said, “the purpose of this meeting is to galvanize the support of political parties towards judicial and electoral reform in this country, towards good governance, towards reforming our electoral process.
“We have all agreed that as opposition political parties in this country, that we’re going to work together to end the pain and the democratic shame in this country. Want to make sure that we visibly meet to discuss issues of electoral reform, issues of judiciary reform, issues of INEC and how we can partner together as opposition political parties, to end the democratic shame and the democratic pain.
“We believe that we cannot continue like this as a country. There’s a need for amelioration, there’s a need for palliation, there’s a need for correction and we have resolved that I as the convener of this meeting, will drive the opposition political parties in this country to do the needful and to keep the party in power in check and to make sure that our democratic ideals, our democratic doctrines, our democratic tenants in this country are respected and that there will be fairness, there will be equity, there will be a egalitarianism in our democracy.
“The battle to rescue this country democratically, for all opposition political parties is a battle of no retreat, no surrender and we are all committed to this course” Melaye stressed.
The governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the last election pointed out that COPIN does not imply a merger opposition political parities but a platform that opposition parties can use to demand for electoral reforms, better democratic experience and judicial reforms.
“The main purpose is to make sure that together we push for a unified, electoral and judicial system to have a better electoral process and to stop the likes of Mahmood Yakubu from rigging elections and subsequent elections in this country”.
Former Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and Chieftain of Labour Party, Peter Ameh added that the purpose of the conference is for opposition political parties to form a partnership that will ensure that democracy works in Nigeria.
“This partnership is for electoral, judiciary and constitutional reform that will help in improving our electoral atmosphere, that will ensure one man one vote, that will make sure that anybody who goes to cast his vote, that his vote will be counted, that will make sure that Nigerians have confidence in the electoral process again, because as it stands today, let me tell you, we have one of the worst democratic processes.
“The parties must be united, they must come together to have a focus, the electoral system must be fair, it must be credible and represent the true wishes and aspirations of our people”.
When reminded that whatever they conference is doing will be subjected to legislative authentication and that the ruling party are at the helm of affairs at that arm of government, he responded
“We are going there to present something that will save Nigeria from international embarrassment, something that will give light to our electoral processes. Because elections are not fair, because elections are not credible, that is the reason why those who get into government misbehave because they were not elected by the people”.
Other parties like All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was represented by National Vice Chairman North Central, Abdullahi Arikora, Obiora Ifoh, Labour Party just as some others like New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) sent apologies.
