The National Consultative Front (NCFront), a major political consortium of opposition forces, has backed the budding political alliance between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former presidential candidate Peter Obi.
NCFront, led by Prof Pat Utomi, stated this while reacting to Obi visit to Atiku, former Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki and former Jigawa Governor, Sule Lamido in Abuja on Monday.
The group applauded Obi for what they called his deft political moves to rally leading opposition leaders in the country to engage and challenge the misrule of the country by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which, within 11 months of taking power, has brought the country to its knees through impoverishment and anarchy.
The statement signed by its spokesman, Mallam Hamisu San Turaki, said “NCFront wishes to state that Peter Obi strategic consultations, yesterday, with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP and other leading opposition figures in the country has been adopted by our Front as a teaser to the flag off of a series of activities already lined up by a New Committee recently set up by the NCFront to facilitate and coordinate Realignment and Fusion of leading opposition leaders and forces towards the formation of a new ideology based and value driven ultra Mega Political Movement based on rapprochement and realignment of opposition political leaders and forces to check growing misrule of the APC and save Nigeria from imminent collapse.
“Furthermore, the Realignment and Fusion process, which is expected to throw up an alternative Mega Political Movement for Nigerians by March 2025, is expected to prioritise the mobilisation of like minded political leaders and forces across the country into one ideological mega political platform irrespective of their present political parties.
“To this extent, the question of merger of political parties is relegated to the background as secondary and can only be entertained if it becomes necessary after the formation of the new mega party by like-minded political leaders and groups in the country.”
The group said the above modu operandi was adopted at the inaugural meeting of the Committee hosted in Lagos on 6th February, 2024 by Prof Pat Utomi.
“Members of the Broad based Realignment and Fusion Implementation Committee include Prof Pat Utomi, Engr Buba Galadima, Senator Shehu Sanni, Amb Mrs Nkoyo Toyo, Barr Ladipo Johnson, Mallam Ibrahim Ali Ansami, Mr Adai Edwin Adai, Obongawan Barbara James, Barr Promise Adewusi, mni, Mrs Chinyere Oforkansi, Mallam Hamisu San Turaki, among others.
“The committee is billed to Flag off the process of its political realignment and intervention next month by hosting major consultative meetings with leading opposition Presidential Candidates in the country, especially Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso.
“This is to be followed by joint national intervention meetings and summit of like-minded political leaders and groups in the country on the state of Nigeria, as a prelude to initiating a broad based ideological and value driven political movement and ultra Mega political party to save Nigeria from growing misrule of the APC.
“Finally, the question of who becomes the flag bearer of the new Movement in 2027 has already been foreclosed and will only be discussed and popularly resolved after the formation of the mega movement as the leading presidential candidates in the 2023 elections and other political gladiators in the consultations have already decided to jettison their personal political ambitions for the formation of a formidable opposition movement capable of saving everyone from an imminent national mishap.
“So, National Salvation first is the guiding rule of this political intervention of the Nigerian opposition and any individual, no matter highly placed, found pursuing personal political agenda risks expulsion from the movement,” the statement said.
