Na’aba, Agbakoba, Utomi, others plan mega political movement for March

By Nicholas Kalu, Abuja

Some eminent Nigerians are set to inaugurate a new mega political movement in March this year.

Among them are former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon Ghali Umar Na’aba; former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Dr Olisa Agbakoba SAN; and former presidential candidate, Prof Pat Utomi.

Others are Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Prof Kingsley Moghalu, Dr Obadiah Mailafia and Prof Mrs Remi Sonaiya, Comrade Issa Aremu, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, Chief Precious Elekima, Arch Ezekiel Nya-Etok, Dr Tanko Yunusa and HC Peter Ameh.

Addressing reporters on the platform of the National Consultative Front (NCF) in Abuja on Tuesday, they said their decision was informed by “failure of political leadership and unimaginable state collapse in Nigeria.”

According to them, they were on a mission to rescue Nigeria, which is in the throes of pervasive insurgencies, banditry, kidnapping, general insecurity as well as the dangerous slide of the Nigerian economy into depression, which has dimmed the hope of Nigerians at independence.

The situation, they said had rendered most talented young people incapacitated, to seeking greener pastures in better managed foreign countries.

They said strategic political cells and structures have been set up nationwide and would mobilize for a new people’s constitution as a basis for sponsoring credible candidates in the next elections.

They said since its formation in July, 2020, the National Consultative Front (NCFront) has come to terms with the fact that political power is crucial to the realization of its goals and objectives for a new prosperous Nigeria.

They said the Front will not hesitate to seek political power to lead and govern Nigeria as a credible alternative Peoples’ movement to the two dominant political parties in Nigeria.

In a statement signed by them and read at the briefing, they said, “Given this worrisome situation of our dear country and the fear that things may get out of hand, if this situation is allowed to continue, a group of us, Citizens of Conscience and a Consortium of Organizations, from across the length and breadth of Nigeria have resolved to initiate and drive a national redemption movement to rescue and save Nigeria from an impending anarchy and to direct the country’s endowments towards erecting a truly prosperous and harmonious Nation that can deliver good governance and prosperity to her citizens, while also providing an exemplary leadership in Africa to take the black race out of her longstanding misery and poverty.

“Nothing more directly raises the imperative for initiating our new Group, the National Consultative Front, NCFront to resetting Nigeria than the shameful mishandling of the recent peaceful protests of the #EndSars Movement of the Nigerian Youths against State brutality in the country as well as the helplessness and incapacitation currently being demonstrated by Governments and the Nigerian State over the crisis and tension foisted by clashes between farmers and herders in the country, thereby compelling private individuals to resort to self-help.

“These among other indices of misgovernance have exposed the deep seated trust deficit between those who govern the country and the governed and with such level of distrust, governing the country is clearly going to be suboptimal with serious effects on the legitimacy of the State to exercise authority over the people and this may shrink to the point that our social circumstances can degenerate (God forbid) to the level of Somalia or Liberia of two decades ago or to the extent of a disastrous economic decline, similar to the current situation of the oil-rich Venezuela, which is today in extreme distress.

“As patriots, citizens of conscience, and people burdened by anger of the youth, hunger of the poor and the frustration of the well-off; including potential investors, who consider corruption and the bullying by incompetent and inept political leadership as high risk factors, the NCF is offering an alternative ideological platform for achieving the much desired new Nigeria that works for all similar to the feat attained in turning around the fortunes of countries like Singapore, South Korea, China, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, as Conveners and Promoters of the NCFront believe that with the right men and women at the helms of affairs of a new constitutional system, Nigeria will yet rise again.”