Kaduna: The Nineteen Seventeen Northern Consensus Movement (NSNCM) has urged the Federal Government to fulfil its pledge of two million electric tricycles for members registered under the community transport initiative of the Presidential Campaign Council.
Dr Auwal Abdullahi, the movement’s National President, appealed 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 (NATOMORAS), 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, Mr Usman Gwoza, who also serves as Director of Contact and Mobilisation of the NSNCM.
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 (NOGAS), which he described as a body engaged in poverty alleviation, skills acquisition and educational enhancement programmes.
The NSNCM president expressed concern that, despite the recent launch of electric tricycles in Abuja, none of the 2 million units promised to members had been delivered.
He said the delay had sparked agitations among the members, leading to arrests and alleged harassment of some leaders.
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 in large numbers 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.
Abdullahi cautioned that if there were no positive developments 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.