The Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM) has adopted its alternate political platform, People’s Trust (PT), as its anchor political party for the 2019 general election.
NIM, which is an umbrella mass movement and rainbow political formation of fresh breed political leaders in the country, also sees itself as the ‘third force’ movement which has been mobilising to dislodge power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The movement had earlier in March this year, at its national summit, initiated a grand political alliance with some opposition political parties in the country ahead of the elections.
However, this latest development follows the emergence of Olisa Agbakoba, Senior Advocate of Nigerian (SAN) and Abduljalil Tafawa Balewa, as the National Chairperson and Board of Trustees Chairperson, respectively of the new mega political party, People’s Trust (PT).
In a statement by the group and signed by its media Assistant, Olubori Isah Obafemi, it stated that the new alliance would replace the group’s earlier collaboration with the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), which was provisionally endorsed by the movement earlier in June this year.
In an address to NIM stakeholders in a statement from London, United Kingdom yesterday, Co -Chair of NIM, Olisa Agbakoba, said that NIM grand political alliance will strive hard to achieve substantial merger of more fresh breed political parties, aspirants, while aligning with the People’s Trust towards achieving NIM’s ballot-based, PVC’s revolution for Nigeria in 2019
Agbakoba stressed that the spate of cross-carpeting and defections among the present political class in the country and the systematic slide of democracy into a police state in Nigeria has validated NIM’s raison detre for facilitating urgent rescue intervention in the affairs of the country by fresh breed leaders in the third force movement.
Speaking further, Agbakoba noted that the grand alliance initiated by NIM with 45 other political parties under the aegis of Coalition for New Nigeria (CNN) that led to the formation of Coalition for United Political Parties (CUPP), adding that NIM is not in any direct union with either the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) or the ruling APC.
“Within the next couple of months, we are determined to change the course of history in Nigeria as well as the country’s political narratives, from the negative to the positive, which was why we encouraged the birth of Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP in the first place; as CUPP was an initiative jointly facilitated with a group of 45 political parties operating under the auspices of Coalition for New Nigeria (CNN).”
The statement further said: “So, we, in the NIM, are essentially in a principled union with other like-minded platforms to be able to effectively raise the bar for civic responsibility among fellow citizens, especially the Youths, Professionals and the grassroots, so as to bring issues of good governance, rule of law and economic prosperity of our people to the fore, while making Nigerians to realise the power of their PVCs and votes. This is the whole logic for facilitating alliances, coalition and merger towards the 2019 elections”
“It also for the purposes of consolidating the mileage gained with the formation of the coalition that we are merging with a combination of liked minded political platforms and stakeholders to create a credible mega platform in the People’s Trust for our allied democrats to engage the 2019 elections on the platform of the People’s Trust”
Meanwhile, the protem leadership of the People’s Trust has commenced a strategic engagement and consultations with leading political icons and aspirants in the country towards convening an all-aspirants and stakeholders’ national summit on the 2019 elections, which would enable allies reach consensus on the adoption of a common presidential candidate and merger for election.
Among the political leaders and Presidential aspirants shortlisted for the country-wide consultations scheduled to begin next week include: Prof. Wole Soyinka, Gen. TY Danjuma, Olu Falae, Abduljalil Tafawa Balewa, Rt Hon Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Donald Duke, Rt Hon Ghali Umar Na’abba, Col Abubarkar Umar, Senator Datti Baba Ahmed, Senator Rabiu Kwakwanso, Oby Ezekwesili, Omoyele Sowore, Ahmed Buhari, Kingsley Moghalu, among several others.
Inibong Iwok
