Why We’re Inaugurating A Mega Political Party Next Month- Pat Utomi, Na’aba, Agbakoba, Moghalu, Others
Leaders of the National Consultative Front, NCF, a frontline political pressure group has given a gloomy picture of Nigeria, with a grim verdict that this House called Nigeria has fallen.
According to the group of Leaders who took a cursory look at all the aspects of Nigeria which include corruption, unemployment, weak institutions, cost of governance, marginalization of many critical interest groups and stakeholders, including the youth, women, rural people, among, Nigeria is in a state of despondency and is on the edge of total collapse, calling that all hands to be on deck as fast as quickly to save the country.
The group in a statement signed Tuesday, titled, ” Open Memo: To all Nigerians Citizens of Conscience and Stakeholders, have resolved to inaugurate a new mega Political party next month, March to save Nigeria as well as mobilize for a new Peoples constitution for Nigeria as a basis for sponsoring credible candidates for the 2023 general and presidential elections.
The statement was signed by Prof. Pat Utomi, former Speaker, House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’abba; former President of Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Olisa Agbakoba, SAN; Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed; and proof Kingsley Moghalu. Others are Dr Obadiah Mailafia, Prof Mrs Remi Sonaiya, Comrade Issa Aremu; Prof Chidi Odinkalu; Chief Precious Elekima; Arch Ezekiel Nya-Etok; Dr Tanko Yunusa and Peter Ameh.
They have also charged the government to stop heightening what they described as anarchy and Civil strife in the Country by as a matter of urgency, adopt ranching and flushing out all criminal elements from Nigeria’s forests, including Sambisa.
The group 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, so 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 and their cohorts in Nigeria, but not desperately or precipitately.
To this extent, we wish to state that the NCFront will not be fixated on the power politics of 2023 but rather in first mobilising Nigerians for a brand new people’s Constitution that can enable Nigeria to work for all and be rid of corruption and self-aggrandizement in politics and in government.
“The point being made here is that the ideological plan of action for our Mega Political mass Movement, now to be launched, following due consideration of the second wave of Covid 19 pandemic, by the end of March 2021, is to, first and foremost, pursue Popular Democratic CONSTITUTIONAL REWORKING and REMAKING of NIGERIA to give the country a new constitutional template that will enable it to embrace a new legitimate political structure and national legal framework that can essentially make politics less juicy, attractive and corruptive but service-oriented and values-driven for mass prosperity. “Therefore, the new Mass Political Movement shall be expected to immediately embark on a vigorous mobilisation for a new peoples constitution for Nigeria and it is after the struggle is won by the peoples of Nigeria that the movement in form of a credible alternative mega party to the APC and PDP, shall be expected to venture into the second phase of its agenda, which shall be to present and sponsor credible candidates for electoral power, as a mega movement party and mass ideological platform for pursuing the good governance and prosperity of Nigeria.
“In other words, our emergent mass movement shall be expected to first mobilize Nigerians home and abroad for a New Nigeria through the democratic constitutional restructuring of the country before venturing into electoral power politics and this shall be a sequel to the sealing of a democratic merger and fusion of all the credible political parties and groups within the fold of the Front, (taking a cue from the advice of former INEC Chair, Prof Attahiru Jega during our national consultation on internal party democracy last year) as one indivisible formidable alternative political bloc, when the time comes. In essence, what we shall be launching is an alternative political class and credible political leadership that can step forward to lead the country any time, even in the event of any emergency.
“Again, although the ultimate aim of the NCFront is to win power to lead Nigeria, however, our various consultations and recent experiences have revealed also that without first replacing the existing warped corruptive military constitution of 1999, it may be fruitless and impolitic to engage in an electoral contest with moneybags and State captors, who have already amassed ill-gotten funds from governing the country, on the basis of money politics or highest bidder’s electoral merchandising but rather on ideology, principles, values and service to the Citizens and Electorate. So, we have resolved to mobilise Nigerians to first change the humongous and outrageous cost of contesting elections and winning electoral power in Nigeria through constitution reforms, which will also include electronic and diaspora voting, among others.
“Therefore, in the light of the ravaging Covid 19 pandemic and after due consultations, the leadership of NCFront, has decided to shift the formal launch of the planned mega mass movement, earlier scheduled to hold at the end of January 2021, now to 29th to 31st of March, 2021.
This emergent movement of the people, as stated above, shall immediately after its inauguration, undertake two phases of interventions on its platform i.e to first agitate to get democratic constitution reform for the country and thereafter present credible candidates for the next elections in Nigeria. A two-prong approach to rescuing and leading our beloved country, Nigeria into stability and prosperity.
“Consequently, we shall immediately proceed to carefully work out a legal framework and procedure on how to strategically replace the self-contradictory 1999 constitution with a new legitimate people’s constitution without having to create a constitutional lacuna or pitfall for the country. In this regard, we may have to collaborate with some Eminent Jurists and Statesmen/women, among others, who have already provided substantial answers to that national constitutional question in their works on how to legitimately and legally repeal and replace 1999. However, the NCFront has also in the recent past canvased that the country can overcome possible constitutional quagmire in this regard by compelling the National Assembly, in their ongoing constitution review assignment, to amend sections 8 and 9 of the 1999 constitution; two sections, which presently take away sovereign powers over the Nigerian Constitution from the peoples and citizens of Nigeria and technically put it in the hands of their lawmakers rather than the Sovereign Peoples of Nigeria.
“Our position, therefore, is that the National Assembly, in their ongoing constitution amendment process, should without fail, provide for a Referendum clause in the two sections of the existing 1999 constitution, so as to enable Nigerian Citizens take full ownership of their Constitution as well as reclaim their inalienable constitutional Sovereignty over the country, as applicable in advanced democracies of the world.
