Na'Abba to set up new political party to promote internal democracy -

The former speaker, House of Representative, Ghali Umah Na’abba has declared his intention to establish a new political party in a bid to promote internal democracy in Nigeria.

Speaking during Channels TV Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Na’abba said for 20 years of being a democratic country, the citizens of Nigeria have not benefitted from democracy.

He noted that since 1999, successive political leaders have failed to practice democracy, adding that leadership has continued to revolve around the two major political parties in Nigeria.

“Political leaders at the executive level have continued to hijack positions, taking it away from the people. In a democratic setting, people elect who they will like to represent them but in Nigeria, we have a situation where few people dictate for the people.

“We cannot promote or recruit the best people into political offices when you dictate for people. People must be allowed to freely contest elections. Internal democracy must be restored. Because people no longer have a say over who should lead them, they become frustrated, and this leads to security problems,” he explained.

He further explained that the intention of democracy is for people to live in peace and be happy but most Nigerians are not happy because there are so much poverty and hunger and these are some of the issues democracy is supposed to arrest.

Na’abba disclosed that his intention is to create a political party and seek registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) and if this does not happen, he said he will partner with other parties that have similar ideologies to bring about the change that the country so desires.

Explaining the idea behind his movement, he said it is hinged on mobilization and consultation of Nigerians.

“What we mean by mobilization and consultation is that we will consult the people and intimate them on what we want to do. We will carry the people along. We have no intention to engage in any form of violence whatsoever,” he added.

Is civil society folding its hands while democracy dies in Nigeria …

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.