Founder, Naija Lives Matter (NLM), Dr. Ope Banwo, has said that the organisation would now focus on engaging the Tinubu administration in a non-partisan yet critical manner, reminding them of their promises and holding them accountable.
In a statement, Dr. Banwo said that the organisation’s mission and goals extend beyond the 2023 elections, electioneering campaigns, and politics.
“Since 2011, the NLM organisation has consistently de-emphasised its partisan support for any specific candidate after the elections and campaigns are over, enabling it to concentrate on its global mandate of making Naija lives matter to all Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations.
“Our commitment is not irreversibly tied to any particular politician; it lies in what we believe is in the best interest of Nigeria and its people,” the statement read.
According to him, When Naija Lives Matter endorsed Peter Obi as its chosen candidate in August 2022, they made it clear that their partisan involvement would solely extend until the conclusion of the elections.
“NLM will now move beyond the recent election cycle, with a current focus on organising projects aimed at making the lives of all Nigerians better.
“Henceforth, we shall therefore leave the legal and political affairs to lawyers and politicians, and respect the decisions of the courts, whatever they may be.
“In alignment with our mandate and the previously declared engagement period for the 2023 elections, we hereby inform our members that NLM will now shift its focus towards other aspects of our charter such as mass non-partisan mobilisation on national issues, youth empowerment training, workshops, community assistance services for the less privileged in Nigeria, and other activities.
“In light of this new direction, we will convene meetings with our state directors and cell leaders to announce additional NLM initiatives that extend beyond politics in the coming days.
“All our threads on WhatsApp and other social media platforms will once again be dedicated to NLM as we officially conclude the Peter Obi Nation Project for the 2023 elections,” Dr. Banwo said.
Acknowledging the fact that many individuals who joined NLM’s special Peter Obi Nation Project were primarily interested in supporting the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, and may not share NLM”s broader mandate and NGO charter, Dr. Banwo said that the organisation would understand if those solely focused on partisan politics choose to disassociate themselves from the NLM organisation across it numerous groups and threads, adding that the organisational continuity transcends any single election cycle.
