Lagos/Abuja/Kaduna/Ibadan — THE entire nation waits with bated breathe as the opposition parties hold the planned two million-man march today.

Under the banner of Nigeria United for Democracy (NUD), the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and its allies are billed to hold rallies expected to involve two million persons in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Kano and Damaturu.

The mass rallies kick off from 8.00 am.

The Abuja rally will hold at Eagle Square, Lagos, Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) while Damaturu's at the Sani Abacha Stadium in the Yobe State capital.

The rallies at Enugu and Kano are slated for Michael Okpara Square and Race Course respectively.

Several prominent Nigerians, including governors and groups are also billed to deliver speeches during the event.

The rallies are being organised to protest alleged maladministration by the Federal Government.

In Enugu, speeches will be delivered by Gov. Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State, Ohanaeze national president, Prof. Joe Irukwu, politicians Drs. John Nwodo and Ezekiel Izuogu.

Others are Messrs Frank Ojiakor, Charles Nwodo, Yinka Makinde of Alliance for Democracy (AD/Afenifere) and representatives of labour and other groups.

In Abuja, the rally is expected to be addressed by the chief convener of the protest and CNPP chairman, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, Dim Chukwuemeka Odimegwu-Ojukwu, president of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Mr Adams Oshiomhole, former Osun State governor, Chief Bisi Akande and a former minister, Alhaji Wada Nas.

Also expected to speak are factional leader of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Dr Frederick Fasehun, national chairman of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Chekwas Okorie and others.

Speakers at the Lagos rally include the secretary-general of Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (SCSA), Dr Abdul Lateef Adegbite, former Ogun State governor, Chief Segun Osoba, Sen. Femi Okunrounmu, human rights activist, Mr Chima Ubani, businesswoman Hajiya Sefinatu Muhammed and others.

The event in Damaturu will be addressed by Yobe State governor, Alhaji Abba Bukar Ibrahim, Alhaji Buba Galadima, other personalities and representatives of groups.

All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) flagbearer in the April 19, 2003 election in Rivers State, Sergeant Awuse, former governor of the state, Chief Rufus Ada-George, AD governorship candidate in the last general elections in Delta State, Chief Great Ogboru, activist, Bamidele Aturu, former military administrator, Cmdre Ndongesit Ikanga (rtd) and several groups will address the Port Harcourt rally.

In Kano, the state governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, ANPP presidential candidate in the last general polls, Maj Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), former Communications Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi, son of the late Head of State, Alhaji Mohammed Abacha and others.

By Saturday, top opposition figures among them, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), Chief Emeka Ojukwu, Alhaji Musa and Chief Okorie had arrived Abuja, to put final touches to the march.

However, the Yoruba Council of Elders (YCE) has urged the organisers of the mass rally to shelve the protest in order not to truncate the young democracy.

Instead, YCE, said the organisers should summon a conference of political parties to discuss the way out of Nigeria's problems.

The organisers, the CNPP said Saturday night that they would shun a meeting reportedly fixed for yesterday in Abuja and which was convened by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Ufot Ekaette.

Also on Saturday, the CNPP and the allies, received fresh impetus when the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), the Northern Elders Group, endorsed the march, after earlier disowning the mass rally.

Apart from the arrests on Friday of Buba Galadima, head of mobilisation for the CNPP, and some other activists, plainclothes securitymen invaded Torak Printing Press located at Zone 7, Garki, Abuja to intercept printing materials such as posters and handbills that were being produced for the rally.

In the raid, the securitymen impounded printed materials and destroyed them and later issued a dire warning to the operators never to accept such "subversive" jobs from the CNPP in future or face the consequences.

Earlier on Friday, a pro-government group, Youth Agenda for Peace failed in its bid to obtain a Federal High Court order stopping today's rally.

Justice Binta Murtala-Nyako, in her ruling, dismissed the YAPUN motion on the ground that it was filed out of time.

Nyako also dismissed the originating summon filed alongside the motion, holding that it did not clearly state the reliefs sought.

The CNPP Saturday night refuted claims by the Federal Government that letters of invitation were extended to leaders for a meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday (Sunday).

Contacted on telephone, the secretary of the CNPP, Maxi Okwu affirmed that there was no going back in the mass rally today.

"We have no intention of attending any meeting with President Obasanjo, although we have not received any letter at all to that effect," explained Mr. Okwu, who is also the deputy national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

He said that from what they have read in the newspapers, the invitation letter purported to have been written by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Ekaette, was to afford Mr. President the opportunity of explaining the irregularities of the 2003 general and 2004 council elections.

But he said that the CNPP's grievances embraced more, stressing that the three key issues against which they are protesting are desecration of the ballot box in the general and council elections, anti-people policies/general bad governance of Obasanjo's administration and the high level of insecurity of lives and property in the nation.

"For those who may still be against the protest by claiming that the case is being handled in the courts, we draw their attention to section 133 of the 2002 Electoral Act," he said.

According to him, the section provides that only candidates that contested elections via registered political parties, could contest election results, stressing that since only General Muhammadu Buhari, Chief Dim Odimegwu-Ojukwu and Alhaji Mohammad D. Yusuf were the only candidates in court, the other millions of Nigerians, whose votes were violated, should not be discountenanced.

Meanwhile, Chief Ojukwu, Chief Chekwas Okorie (APGA chairman) flew into Abuja weekend for the rally.

In Kaduna, the Arewa Consultative Forum declared its support for today's mass action by the Nigerian United for Democracy (NUD), the acronym for CNPP and its allies.

In a statement at the weekend in Kaduna, chairman of ACF's board of trustees, Alhaji Magaji Danbatta said Nigerians either as individuals or as interest groups are entitled to freely express their feelings if they are aggrieved or opposed to policy or non performance of government.

He noted that the constitution fully guaranteed the freedom of association, speech and assembly, stressing that the NUD or any group for that has the legitimate right to protest over any matter it feels strongly about.

The ACF according to Alhaji Danbatta, had been in the forefront of the struggle for the promotion of democracy and good governance in Nigeria, adding that although the forum is not a party to the planned mass action, its members were free to participate in the protest scheduled for today.

The call by YCE was contained in a statement issued by the assistant secretary general of the council, Dr Kunle Olajide, copies of which were made available to newsmen in Ibadan, Oyo State capital.

According to him, the decision of CNPP to organise the mass rally was ill-advised, adding that nothing should be done to overheat the polity.

Olajide said that the rally would only create unnecessary tension at a time when concrete efforts were being made to ensure the consolidation of democracy.

He admonished the CNPP to organise a conference of all political parties and politicians to discuss the fears and concern about the young democracy and not a mass rally.

According to him, the conference should review the nation's democratic journey and suggest solutions to identified problems.

Olajide who lamented that political actors were yet to cultivate the right attitude towards democracy, also stressed the need for politicians to be tolerant and conduct themselves in a manner that will encourage the development of democratic norms.

"Democracy is a culture and we must be patient to get it right this time. Nothing should be done to dislocate this democratic journey", he said.