“We wish to advise the leaders of the PACT initiative very strongly that further discussions on presenting a united front for a young presidential candidate should be postponed until the completion of presidential primaries in all concerned political parties," Charly Boy stated.
Following the controversy on the emergence of Fela Durotoye as the consensus presidential candidate of Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT), a civil society organisation, OurMumuDonDo Movement, has called for the suspension of discussions for the time being.
Convener of the group, Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at a press conference, where he said the movement disapproved of any process on the emergence of a consensus candidate that is devoid of the people's participation.
He appealed to the leadership of the coalition to postpone further discussions on presenting a united front for a presidential candidate, until the cnclusion of presidential primaries of all political parties.
His words: “We wish to advise the leaders of the PACT initiative very strongly that further discussions on presenting a united front for a young presidential candidate should be postponed until the completion of presidential primaries in all concerned political parties.
"It is therefore important to inform the Nigerian people within and outside the country, that after due consultations with highly respected Nigerians, opinion moulders and social influencers across different divides of our society, we are convinced that without the participation of the Nigerian people in the process of electing a flag-bearer for a united front and their endorsement thereof, the process is incomplete and void.”
The group expressed disappointment that the options given to the aspirants by the group did not go down well with the leadership of PACT, therefore making them not to arrive at a decision that represented the true yearnings of all Nigerians.
"Three options were reeled off to the aspirants by the group. Option A was for the aspirants to unanimously agree on who would be projected as the flag-bearer of their united front and that this would be done before their respective party primaries to save cost and time," he explained.
“Option B was for the aspirants to wait until they had all gone through the party primaries in their respective political parties and then gather to elect their consensus flag-bearer for a united front."
He pointed out that there are bound to be stumbling blocks in great endeavours, adding that such would not deter them.
Last week, Fela Durotoye emerged as the consensus candidate of PACT. However, a presidential aspirant, Kingsley Moghalu, rejected the outcome of the election noting that the process was not transparent enough. He later pulled out of the coalition, stating that his presidential ambition was still intact.
Present at the briefing were Deji Adeyanju, National Coordinator, Concerned Nigerians; Raphael Adebayo, National Secretary of OurMumuDonDo movement, and other members.