AN ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF TRUSTEES (BOT) NATIONAL MOVEMENT FOR POSITIVE CHANGE (NMPC), PRE ELECTION CONFERENCE HELD AT THE NURTW HALL, ABÈOKUTA, OGUN STATE, ON 07 FEBRUARY, 2019

It gives me great pleasure to welcome and address you this morning at this conference.

The National Movement for Positive Change (NMPC) is a non-partisan, non-political group seeking the goodness of the country. It is making these changes through conferences, seminars, publications and other similar peaceful methods. It is non-violent, strictly done through generation and contribution of ideas by its member, research, and public opinions. It’s membership men and women that cut across various areas of human endeavours, including; lawyers, retired military personnel, business men and women academicians , doctors etc. They are from various parts of the country.

The membership is open to all Nigerians interested in contributing to positive and meaningful changes in the country. The group now have its memberships on the ground in the UK, Lagos , Ogun, Oyo, Cross Rivers State, Kogi, Abuja and Kano State.

You are all invited to join using our website:  www.nmpc.org.uk

The membership is free.

In our quest for Positive Changes, we have conducted series of conferences, public awareness rallies and published Articles to address national issues such as; creating awareness on voting and significance of registration of PVC. In all our conferences and seminars , audience were given opportunities to make contributions, ask questions during question and answers sessions in order to generate ideas for better and positive changes in the country. At the end of the conferences, communique are issued as a way forward are defined.

“The issue of security bothers on the need for protection of the electorates to have freedom assurances and peace to exercise their voting rights without fear or intimidation.”

Today, at this conference, we have invited competent people to lecture and address issues bordering on the need to conduct free, fair and credible elections in 2019.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are coming up nationwide on 16 February 2019 while that of Governorship and State Houses of Assembly are coming up on 2nd March 2019.

The National conference today is on voters Rights and responsibilities. We have chosen this topic to create awareness on the rights and responsibilities of the electorates and to address the issues at hand including Security before the election and aftermath. The issue of security bothers on the need for protection of the electorates to have freedom assurances and peace to exercise their voting rights without fear or intimidation. To also ensure that their vote counts and that the contesting parties accept the results of the election without post-election violence.

We have the privilege of the presence of the representative of the INEC chairman, the commissioner of Police, Ogun state and other stakeholders who will be addressing us today on the subject.

The National Movement For Positive Change (NMPC) believes that the democratic process must grow if the country is to develop. It also believes that we are all stakeholders in the future of our beloved country.

Our prayers and call to all are:

• Say NO to violence during and after the elections,
• Say NO to obstruction of INEC electioneering processes.
  Say NO to disturbing the Security agencies in the performances of their duties.

Finally, I want you all to be free to make contributions during the question and answer period. I wish us all a successful conference. Thank you all for you attention.

Major General Abdullah Adekunle Martins ( Rtd)
Chairman, Board of Trustees, NMPC