MUST READ............Does Nigeria require another political movement?

Nigeria surely needs a mass movement, we need it. I cannot wait for a mass or political movement; I am not satisfied with the performance of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress administration. I am seeking to be President under the Peoples Democratic Party because I feel the job should be left for mothers to handle. If Baba Obasanjo now says that he does not even believe in PDP and the APC and the youths are ready to put themselves together for a mass movement, I am ready to champion this cause. It is not about how now; or where? 

It is about making it happen. It is not about me or my party. It is not about where, it is about a functional approach that will get us out of our current situation. The quality of life of the people is so deplorable. There are killings in the land, so much insecurity. The economy is in a shambles, we cannot compare it to the time we had a Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

• Prof. Adeolu Durotoye (Provost, Colleges of Social and Management Science, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti)

As a political scientist, I don’t believe that Nigeria needs another political movement at this time. What we need now is a reorientation and a new political culture. We need to change our mindset; we need to change from the culture of waste and corruption.

There should be role expectation and role conception as well. As a politician, I should think of how to conceive my role and think if it will benefit the people or not. Once we get the political culture right in terms of role expectation and role conception, you will see that the problems we have would be solved to a very large extent.

Bad leaders emerge sometimes not because they set out to be bad, but they turn bad because they succumb to the bad influence of their followers.  For example, if I go back to my home town and I start giving out money to the people, the first thing that an average person should ask is, is that what they expect from me? How will the people view such an action?  If we have a new political culture we don’t need a new political movement. We have had political movements even before independence but nothing has changed.

Political officer holders should not be recruited based on how deep their pockets are. Their experience, exposure and what they can do should count. If corrupt people are recruited because they have a lot of money to throw around, then we will continue to experience the kind of problem we are experiencing now.

• Ezenwa Nwagu (Executive Director, Partners for Electoral Reforms)

It’s a waste of time to call for another political movement it does not respond to the fact that we have a multi-party democracy. Those who are suggesting this seem to condemn us to a dominant two party system when you have 66 other political parties some of them with credible platforms and opportunity in 2015, it was not only APC and PDP that were on the ballot, Kowa Party had a Professor Soneye, who is a credible woman,  a University teacher. Nigerians didn’t vote for her, they went to campaigns where contracts and opportunity for appointments were promised. Those who are making suggestions for another political movement don’t seem to realise that politics is not a game for the social media. It is not a red card statement; it takes place at the ward level and at polling units. You have to call meetings with local people at the ward level and discuss with them. We have a Nigeria where when you call such meetings you are not just going to sit with them and speak English. You call a political party meeting twice and you give nothing, nobody is going to come when next you call for such a meeting. Nigerians are exited now, funny enough; most of the characters that are excited now don’t have connection with the grassroots. All politics is local and you have to be on ground to play it. Even those in the dominant political parties don’t use their personal money, they fund their parties with state funds and they will outspend and outwit you when the real game starts, that is the reality on the ground.

• Abdulsalam Abdulkadir (National Chairman, Labour Party)

We don’t need another political third force because it is already here; it is none other than the Labour Party. The Labour party remains the only credible alternative to the mess created by the Peoples Democratic Party and the disaster the All Progressives Congress has become. In any case, did Nigerians expect anything different from business as usual when the APC took over from PDP? We cannot continue to deceive ourselves, the true progressives have since realised that the best option left for Nigeria and Nigerians is to join the mass movement which the LP has become. This is the only way Nigeria can achieve her true potential. We have what it takes in terms of capacity to deliver for you to know how serious this movement is, we are already talking with over 20 registered political parties to ensure that Nigerians no longer mortgage their future by voting either the PDP or the APC come 2019.

• Femi Falana (SAN), Human Rights Activist)

There’s already a new movement being spearheaded by Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Pat Utomi and others. I believe it is needed because it is clear that the mainstream political parties have no solution to the country’s problems. This country has a myriad of problems. Political parties are not defined by the faces of its members but by its programme of action and what it stands for. If we have a new political party with a clear cut ideology for the emancipation of the country, whoever subscribes to that ideology genuinely will be welcome onboard. Political parties are not formed like the APC or the PDP to just take over political power when you don’t know what to do with power and that is what has happened today. The APC won an election and became a vehicle for replacing the government at the federal level. And clearly, it has been made abundantly clear that the party never addressed any of the problems confronting the country and that is why we are in a mess. To compound the crisis, the government especially the presidency is manned by people who do not believe or share the philosophy of President Muhammadu Buhari. So, once power was hijacked from day one, the government wasn’t going to take off. Even in fighting corruption, which is the main agenda of the administration, the success has been circumscribed by the enemies within. Not only have they engaged in mindless corruption, they have set out to frustrate the EFCC which today, is the only body that appears to be fighting corruption. The same forces of retrogression have made it impossible for the ICPC and the Code of Conduct Bureau to be constituted. They have made it impossible for the Human Rights Commission to be reconstituted hence the country is witnessing impunity at the highest level. The nation cannot continue to drift aimlessly as it is today. The wife of the President over a year ago alerted the nation that the government had been hijacked.

• Festus Keyamo (Senior Advocate of Nigeria)

There is always space for more political options to emerge for Nigerians. I accept that we need more political options so that Nigerians can have more to choose from but if Nigerians are expecting angels to come from heaven, then they will be very disappointed because it is also Nigerians that will be among the new options. The irony is that you cannot prevent anybody from joining your political party, it is not possible. It is unconstitutional to do so. So, if you like, go and get two angels from heaven to start a political party. The moment Nigerians know that this new party is coasting to victory, all the old elements will troop to that place overnight. I am just being practical; I am not living in a fool’s paradise. So, I agree that we need a third force because it gives Nigerians more options. It is those we know here that will still be members of the party. When the APC was sure of victory, didn’t you see how members of the PDP began to join the change campaign? Once this new one begins to coast to victory, the APC and PDP persons will also join and then a fourth option will emerge again. So, I am not saying we don’t need a new option, we do. I am just saying no one should expect it to be populated by angels.