Augustina OkpechiThe Chairman of the National Consultative Front, Prof Pat Utomi, has told a group of Nigerians in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States that the desperate state of the Nigerian condition has resulted in a coalition of political parties, leaders of Civil Society, and the Intelligentsia.
He said all of all of the mentioned groups are passionately committed to rescuing Nigeria from the edge of the precipice to which it has been pushed by professional politicians and entrepreneurs of politics.
Assuring his mainly Nigerian audience that this unprecedented alignment will create a coalition of the excluded; women, youth, Intellectuals and middle-class professionals, to halt the slide and drift that have brewed anger on the streets and despair in Executive suites, he suggested that the alliance would found a government that offers a clear path to expand production, create jobs and restore peace to Nigeria.
Utomi said that Nigeria is buffeted by insecurity, dependence on food importation, declining manufacturing, flight of foreign investment, and the more troubling long-term consequences of collapse in education and health care, where the current administration had failed to show a coherent strategy.
The noted political economist celebrated the coming together of civil society activists and clean politicians as the chemistry of redemption for Nigeria.
Prof Utomi who leads a shadow team of opposition politicians, civil society organizations anf reformist academics said he expected the registration of up to forty five million new voters not used to selling their votes to corrupt politicians.
Noting that the total of real, doctored, bought, and manipulated votes, and those cast by under age people in the last elections came to less than 10 percent of those entitled to voting, and in quite a few states declined from the numbers in the previous elections, he explained that low voter turnout helps the cause of politicians who weaponize poverty so they can buy the votes of the few willing to sell their votes due to hunger.
He also attributed low voter turn out and declining voting rates to declining public interest in a failing system. But was quick to add that those trends create the opportunity for a body of people-oriented progressives to ride the anger and hunger on the streets to electoral victory and far reaching reforms.
Prof Utomi who helped found the Concerned Professionals to resist military rule after the annulment of the elections of June 12 1993, regretted that they and the strong voice of civil society from that era did not become politically active then, allowing inappropriate people to step in and appropriate the promise of Nigeria with dire consequences.
On the debate about elections being delayed till a new constitution is in place, he said that would be his preference but that the coalition is careful not to be entrapped by those in power who could use it as excuse to go forward and install puppets not voted for.
Utomi further suggested the evidence was abundant that those committed to a Nigeria for all in the civil society/opposition arrangements would work assiduously to ensure that PDP and APC are rejected at the polls and retired.
Utomi, who is a founding member of APC, said the good people in APC and PDP will not be left out as a wing of the untainted and committed in both parties as the R-PDP and R-APC.
He said a meeting of R-PDP and R-APC will take place in Lagos on February 7 to consider exploring a relationship with the NCFront movement.
Prof. Utomi, who is a former presidential candidate and served in a presidential advisory position in the Shagari Administration, added that the support he has seen for the rescue Nigeria effort in meetings he has held with Nigerians in Chicago, Atlanta,and Dallas were encouraging.
He paid tribute to several of the leaders of Diaspora groups who had hosted him in various states and communities and considered their concerns and aspirations for Nigeria patriotic.
He particularly applauded Nigerians in the Gap(NIG) and the leadership of Dr Abiodun Olatidoye in Atlanta for their deep care for the future of Nigeria.
Prof Utomi who said he was confident Nigeria would rise from the rubble of the current discontent like the Phoenix, urged all patriots to look past the divides manipulated by people who live off politics and focus on their shared humanity.
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