Na’aba, Utomi others spearhead new political group to save Nigeria

The Conveners and Leaders of the emerging new political group, National Consultative Front, following a virtual meeting of its Interim Steering Council on Monday reaffirmed its commitment to launch a new mass movement to save Nigeria from the precipice of political anarchy and civil strife, which it said currently threatens “our corporate existence as a people”.

This was made known in a statement on Tuesday morning by the Media Office of the NCF.

In the light of this, the Interim Steering Council of the NCF, being jointly led by former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ghali Umar Na’aba, and a two-time presidential candidate and founder of Lagos Business School, Prof. Pat Utomi, constituted a high powered Policy & Strategy Team at the meeting to articulate and tease out policy and strategy plan for the emerging movement to be launched in January 2021.

The Interim Steering Council is made up of Na’aba and Utomi as Facilitators; while others are Engr. Yabagi Yusuf Sanni, Mallam Shehu Sanni, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, Comrade Isa Aremu, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, Dr. Kemi George, Dr. Tanko Yinusa, Prof. Remi Sonaya, Segun Osinowo, Dr. Sam Amadi, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, Lady Funke Awolowo and Peter Ameh.

Others are Georgina Dakpokpo, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, Jude Feranmi, Ambassador Rukaiya Muhammad, Habiba Balogun, Hajia Khadijat Abdullahi and Alistair Soyode.

The inaugural meeting of the Council holds next week, the statement said.

Furthermore, the Facilitating Secretariat was also mandated to immediately come up with a grand plan for institutionalising a formidable foundation for the ongoing political consultations and mobilisation by setting up of veritable structures for consultations in the 36 States and the FCT, while rallying and harmonising the agenda and structures of all credible coalescing allies and stakeholders towards solidifying the base of the emerging movement.

The statement added: “On the worrisome state of Nigeria, our Political Coalition condemns  in the strongest terms the tension and distraction brought on the country by the explosive factionalisation and confusion presently rocking dominant political parties and ruling class of the country, giving credence to our resolve to provide a credible alternative political leadership for Nigeria in those who pride themselves as Leaders of our country in the last twenty one years of our civil rule have proved to be huge failures and burden to the wellbeing of the Nigerian people.

“In the same vein, we decry in categorical terms, the ongoing devilish massacre and kidnappings in the North West, North East, Southern Kaduna, the Middle Belt, Southern part of Nigeria and in fact the country at large by armed bandits, terrorists and insurgents, who invade and maraud our communities, especially at night to inflict terror and murder on hapless residents and unsuspecting indigenes, calling on those presently in charge of Nigerian Federal Government, military and security apparatus to immediately wake up and do everything to stop the ongoing pogrom against the masses of our people.”