Ahead of the upcoming 2023 general elections in Nigeria, over 30 prominent citizens have formed a coalition. This number includes five presidential aspirants from the 2019 general elections, as well as activists, academics and other professionals who have launched a new political movement tagged the National Consultative Front, with the aim of mobilising Nigerians for popular mass actions towards political and electoral constitution reforms.
The movement, which was launched on Wednesday through a communique announced to the public, was formed after a month-long nationwide consultation and virtual meetings.
Criticizing the ongoing massacre and kidnappings in the North, Middle Belt and Southern Part of Nigeria, the rise of armed bandits and other forms of insurgency, the coalition called on Nigerians to seek change, noting that the federal government and current political leadership in different political parties have failed to protect citizens against insecurity.
“The new movement shall also, without delay, mobilize for the economic wellbeing and prosperity of all Nigerians by demanding and ensuring that Chapter 2 of the present Constitution i.e. Fundamental Objectives & Directive Principles of State Policy becomes justiciable once and for all, while also mounting an articulate and vigorous campaign to deconstruct and reconstruct obnoxious election laws which have provided leeway for opportunists in the corridor of power to subvert the will of the electorate making voting irrelevant in determining who actually becomes elected in Nigeria.”
A Coalition of Presidential Hopefuls
Members of the coalition include Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’abba; former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Dr Obadiah Mailafia; Olisa Agbakoba, SAN; Femi Falana SAN; Col. Abubakar Umar (retd.); Prof Jibo Ibrahim; Yabagi Sanni; Amb, Nkoyo Toyo, Isa Aremu, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, and Senator Shehu Sani among others.
The coalition is however spearheaded by former 2019 presidential candidates Kingsley Moghalu, who ran under the Young Progressives Party (YPP); Donald Duke under the Social Democratic Party (SDP); Fela Durotoye, who ran under the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN); Omoyele Sowore under the African Action Congress (AAC); and Dr. Oby Ezekwesili of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) who dropped out of the race prior to the election.
Details of the coalition’s plan for the 2023 elections and whether or not they intend to field a joint candidate remain unknown.
This story is part of our new series on Nigeria where we analyse electoral reform in the country ahead of the next general elections in 2023.
