Nigerian bikers under the auspices of The Riders’ Embassy (TRE) yesterday stormed the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where they held the “One Nigeria Ride†through the major streets of the capital city to mark this year’s 57th independence anniversary.
The bikers came out in their numbers to the popular Unity Fountain, near the TransCorp Hilton Hotel, from where they took off in a convoy riding through major streets in Abuja city centre to the venue of an event at a garden in Jabi District.
One of the major highlights of the event was the hoisting of a giant Nigerian flag in the centre of the city amidst pomp and pageantry.Â
The organisers of the event told THISDAY that the significance of the Nigerian flag was to symbolise their belief in one, undivided Nigeria and to draw the attention of the youths to patriotism and good citizenship.
Addressing the gathering of hundreds of bikers who took part in the ride, the leader of the group, Abubakar Abdullahi, said the rally was necessitated by the need to arrest the increasing agitations for the division of the country coming from different groups and from some countrymen and women who are fed up with the way things have been run in the country.Â
According to Abdullahi, complaints of injustice, neglect, suffering, inequality, corruption, failed promises, and the very slow pace of development, among other issues, had become the order of the day, adding that the overall sense of frustration stemmed from the fact that expectations had been dashed.
“As fellow Nigerians, we identify with many of these grievances. Nigeria is not what we all want it to be by any stretch. A lot of work needs to be done and a lot of wrongs need to be corrected.
“But while we agree that these grievances are legitimate, we also believe some of the demands are not the solution and that includes the demand for the division of Nigeria.Â
“To the contrary, we believe that a more united Nigeria is what we need to address these problems. This was the motivation behind coming up with this event.
“As a group, we believe that the country is better as a united people. We ride against hate, against injustice, against tyranny, corruption and we ride for peace, justice, development and for the unity of Nigeria,†Abdullahi said.
