The battle for 2023 will not just be between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with the former being bent on retaining power and the latter upbeat in reclaiming the state machinery.
This is as Rabiu Kwankwanso , a former Governor of Kano State, Tanko Yakasai, elder statesman, Buba Galadima, President Muhamadu Buhari’s fierce critic, Solomon Dalung, former Minister of Sports, Suleiman Hunkuyi , former Senator from Kaduna State, and other prominent Nigerians launched ‘The National Movement’ in Abuja on Tuesday.
The National Movement has arrow heads including; former Presidential Adviser, Rufai Ahmed Alkali; former Kogi Governor, Idris Wada; Solomon Edoda; Nweze Onu; Falasade Aliyu; Grace Ben; Umale Shittu; Ibrahim Ringim; Ali Gwaska; Paul Okala; Rufai Hanga; Abdulrahman Abubakar amongst others.
The coalition which has the slogan: ‘Save Nigeria, Rescue the Nation’, appeared set to battle for the soul of Nigeria with the APC and the PDP in the February 2023 general election.
In his address at the launching, the convener, Kwankwaso who for now is still a member of the PDP said, it was the collective desire of the Movement to rescue Nigeria from the socio-economic quagmire the country is currently going through.
The former minister of Defence said the mission of the National Movement is to ensure that: ”Nigeria shall be a land of justice, freedom and equal opportunities where all citizens shall aspire to achieve their lifetime goals and ambitions, to live in peace, prosperity, and happiness”.
Read also: APC shifts nat’l convention by one month to March 26
He said: “Today is a special day in the history of Nigeria, a special day in the life of our great nation and a special day for all those of us who are desirous of working together collectively to redeem our nation.
“For too long, Nigerians have been waiting for this moment. For too long, Nigerians have been asking for a way out of our current severe economic and political predicament. For too long Friends of Nigeria both at home and abroad have been looking forward to the day Nigeria shall rise again.
“I am pleased to say, the place is here and the time is today and now. Today, 22 02 2022, being both an ambigram and a palindrome, is consciously chosen as a historic day on which we the people of Nigeria, cutting across all social, political, religious and ethnic backgrounds and affiliations, are assembled here to launch this extraordinary National Movement.”
Other speakers, including Alkali, Galadima and Dalung who particularly apologised to Nigerians and sought their forgiveness for leading the campaign for APC without the promises being kept but rather their living conditions getting worse, called on Nigerians to rise up to the challenge of bringing about positive change in 2023.
BusinessDay observed that implosion shall soon be imminent in the Movement over the choice of “who gets what, when and how”, according to Harold Lasswell’s definition of politics.
This was evident at the event when some of the speakers praised Kwankwaso antecedents to high heavens with one of them demanding the audience to be on their feets and express support for the former lawmaker to become President in 2023.
However, Dalung in the climax of his remarks projected a presidential aspirant under the Coalition of Political Parties, Adewole Adebayo as the best man for Buhari’s job at the expiration of his tenure next year.
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