The Nineteen Seventeen Northern Consensus Movement has appealed to the federal government to provide the two million electric tricycles promised to its members who registered under the community transport initiative of the Presidential Campaign Council.
Auwal Abdullahi, national president of the movement, made the appeal at a news briefing on Sunday in Kaduna.
He said the commitment was made through the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association, an affiliate of NSNCM, during the 2023 election campaigns.
According to him, the tricycles were to be distributed under the Community Transport Directorate, headed by the national president of NATOMORAS, Usman Gwoza, who also serves as director of contact and mobilisation of the NSNCM.
Mr Abdullahi said the members paid registration fees as instructed, after being informed that the federal government would cover 50 per cent of the cost while the beneficiaries would pay the balance.
He said the money was paid through NATOMORAS to the Non-Governmental Association of Nigeria, which he described as a body engaged in poverty alleviation, skills acquisition and educational enhancement programmes.
The NSNCM president expressed concern that, in spite of the recent launch of electric tricycles in Abuja, none of the two million units promised to their members had been delivered.
He said the delay had sparked agitations among the members, leading to arrests and alleged harassment of some leaders.
Mr Abdullahi said the movement, comprising 598 registered associations across the 19 Northern states, was instrumental in mobilising voters for President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 elections.
“We are supporters of President Tinubu. We campaigned and voted massively through the Community Transport Department of the Presidential Campaign Council. We are only asking that the promise made to our members be honoured,” he said.
He urged the president to direct the release of the tricycles to NATOMORAS for distribution to all registered beneficiaries.
Mr Abdullahi cautioned that if there was no positive development by December 15, the movement would mobilise its over two million registered members for a peaceful protest to demand the fulfilment of the campaign pledge.
“No politician will want to joke with two million votes in 2027,” he said.
(NAN)
