By Kolawole Ojebisi
The next general election is still about three years away, but there have been earnest efforts in some quarters to form new political alliances aimed at shaping up the Nigerian polity ahead of time.
A group of 30 eminent Nigerians, from different walks of life, have formed a new political movement “aimed at driving reforms” in the country.
In a communique issued in Abuja on Wednesday, the group unveiled the name of the new platform as National Consultative Front.
Among the members of the movement are Ghali Na’abba, a former speaker of the house of representatives; Olisa Agbakoba, a prominent lawyer; Femi Falana, human rights lawyer; Obadiah Mailafia, ex-duputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Oby Ezekwesili.
Others are Abubakar Umar, Jibo Ibrahim, Chidi Odinkalu, Shehu Sani, a former senator; Remi Sonaiya, former presidential candidate; Tanko Yinusa, Shettima Yerima and Funke Awolowo.
The group said its intervention is aimed at providing a credible alternative political class and leadership for Nigeria as a result of the “failures” of past leaders of the country.
“A new ideological mass Movement shall be initiated to embark on 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 group said.
“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 justiciable 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 electorate making voting irrelevant in determining who actually becomes elected in Nigeria.
“Our Political Coalition wishes to assert that the current factionalisation and imbroglio rocking dominant political parties in Nigeria as well as the heightening political tension in the country, especially within the Nigerian ruling class, have further given credence to our resolve and intervention to provide a credible alternative political class and leadership for Nigeria as most of those who pride themselves as Leaders of our country in the last twenty-one years of civil rule have proved to be huge failures and burden to the wellbeing of our people.
“We hereby call on those presently in charge of our Federal Government, military, and security apparatus to immediately wake up and do everything to stop the ongoing senseless pogrom against the masses of our people.”
In the buildup to the 2019 elections, similar efforts were made but the groups tagged as the ‘third force’, collapsed before Nigerians could cast their ballots.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission ((INEC) recently, deregistered 74 political parties from the 92 the country had prior to the 2019 election.
The commission cited the power vested on it to do so in the 1999 constitution (amended).
According to the commission, the parties were deregistered over failure to win at least 25% of the votes cast in one state of the Federation in a Presidential election or 25% of the votes cast in one Local Government Area of a State in a Governorship election.
