2023: APC, PDP face threat as new political movement emerges
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faced threat of losing their firm grip on power ahead of the 2023 general elections as a new political movement emerged.
The movement known as: ‘New Pan Nigerian Consultative Political Front’ is floated by renowned legal luminary, Olisa Agbakoba, Ghali Naaba, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Oby Ezekwesili, former Minister of Education, Dangiwa, Pat Utomi, Mailafia Obadiah, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Femi Falana and 30 other leaders of thought.
The group after a month old consultative meeting said it has come with a clear vision of building a new disciplined/competent political leadership for the liberation of Nigeria’s muzzled democracy and hijacked State powers.
The new political movement in a communique’ issued Wednesday in Abuja signed by facilitators, Anthony Kila and Jibo Ibrahim, both Professors mandated its Secretariat to immediately facilitate an interim steering coordinating council made up of experienced leaders of conscience and Democratic Ideologues to drive a new popular political intervention for urgently save Nigeria from the precipice of political anarchy and civil strife.
The communique’ sighted by BusinessDay said: “The provisional leadership shall be inclusive and collegiate in structure, capturing the critical segments and crucial essence of the Nigerian diversity, in inspiring substantial confidence, trust, sense of belonging and ownership from all Stakeholders aligned within the new initiative notwithstanding social, cultural, religious and gender differences; such that every Nigerian can easily become a stakeholder and automatically imbibe a common sense of commitment and duty towards mass support, ownership and control of the new Movement slated for launching this month as a counter force to the current politics of moneybags, highest bidders and the cash and carry harakiri prevalent under the mercantilist ruling elites in Nigeria
“A new ideological mass Movement shall be initiated to embark on an immediate mass mobilisation of the nooks and crannies of the country for popular mass action towards political constitution reforms that is citizens-driven and process-led in engendering a new Peoples’ Constitution for a new Nigeria that can work for all. The new movement shall also, without delay, mobilise for the economic wellbeing and prosperity of all Nigerians by demanding and ensuring that Chapter 2 of the present Constitution i e; Fundamental Objectives & Directive Principles of State Policy becomes justiceable once and for all, while also mounting an articulate and vigorous campaign to deconstruct and reconstruct obnoxious election laws which have provided leeway for opportunists in the corridor of power to subvert the will of the electorates making voting irrelevant in determining who actually becomes elected in Nigeria.
“That due to the critical deficiency identified in the governance of Nigeria, especially as regards the question of competence, discipline, cohesion and lack of democratic best practices among the present ruling class; a problem emanating from the dearth of principled, disciplined and ideologically motivated Political class and the absence of democratically birthed and ideologically inspired Political parties in the country; currently breeding factional and chaotic political emissions within the country’s ruling political parties; the new Movement shall undertake, as its key mandate, the conscious cultivation/building of a new ideologically disciplined alternative Political class as well as the formation of a new formidable ideologically driven, democratic mega political platform through popular mobilization to provide a reliable ideological leadership for the country, while positioning the masses for electoral power as was done by ANC in South Africa.
“Consequently, the Secretariat of the National Consultative Front has been mandated to review and tease out lessons from certain past initiatives and interventions, so as to enrich & strengthen the new initiative in such a way that mistakes are not repeated and risks can be easily mitigated in the growth and expansion of the new Movement. Similarly, it was also resolved that the Secretariat should create massive awareness and sensitization about the bankrupt political and economic situation of the country vis a vis the historical mission of the new movement’s agenda to deliver the country from its present comatose state and stem its fast decline into a failed state. To this end, the Secretariat shall engage in conscious mass mobilisation and careful recruitment of revolutionary and true Change Agents in the media, academia, grassroots; among the Women, Youths, Artisan, Vulnerable Nigerians for the purpose of organising to engender a new Nigeria that works for all.
“The new mass movement shall deploy a dual approach in its national and public engagement by expounding a combination of ideological and pragmatic perspectives, especially in its communications in the mass/social media and its outreach to the grassroots and the everyday Nigerians. This is with the aim of clearly exposing everything wrong with Nigeria’s current governance system and its political architecture, while providing viable and workable alternatives and simplifying our new ideological mission and agenda for the country so as to make it easily understandable and interpretable for effective buy-in of every Nigerian.
“That the emerging mass movement shall constantly consult with credible fraternal political elders for their solidarity, while consistently slating policy issues for debate & engagements at the grassroots in developing the political consciousness and culture of the ordinary people on the street for them to realize and understand how to collectively change the demoralising and demobilising narrative and situation in Nigeria without having to give up but instead take ownership of the country through solidarity with like-minded Stakeholders, based on a new conviction and confidence motivated that the country can work in the hands of a new principled and disciplined leadership”.