Precisely last Wednesday, reports emerged of the formation of a new political coalition which is the National Consultative Front.
In a communiqué signed and issued by the founders, the coalition had said that it had theintention of rescuing the country from the current political class and offering a new political alternative.
Prominent statesmen and civil society leaders, activists and politicians in the country were mentioned to be behind the formation of the group.
The communiqué further said that the formation of the group was necessitated by the continued slide of the country in all sectors, political anarchy and the unabated killings which its blamed on the ineptitude and failure of the current administration and ruling class, adding that machinery are being put in place across the six geopolitical zones in the country for an effective take-off.
“Against the worrisome background of the continued slide of Nigeria into political anarchy and unabated bloodletting and deaths, owing to the incompetence and failure of the present political leadership of the country in dealing with the national democratic question of Nigeria as a diverse multi ethnic, multi religious and multi-cultural entity.
“We, a select group of national leaders of conscience, social democrats and revolutionary Ideologues, have been in consultations under the auspices of a new Pan Nigerian Consultative Political Front with other like-minded fresh breed political Ideologues and stakeholders, beginning from today we are trying to agree on a new political intervention for rescuing our dear country from the exploitative grip of a lacklustre leadership and the manipulation of a bickering, factionalised ruling political elites in Nigeria,” the coalition had said.
But event took a surprising twist the next day, when several of the purported founders issued separate statements dissociating themselves from the group formation.
Although, for keen political observers in the country, the birth of such alliance may not be new, jugging that several and similar alliances took place culminating in the formation of different political bloc in the run-off to the 2019 general elections.
One of such coalition in 2019 was the Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT) formed by Kingsley Moghalu, Omoyele Sowore and Fela Durotoye.
The coalition had sought a consensus candidate among the young presidential aspirants, though Durotoye later emerged as consensus candidate of the group, the others aspirants disagreed with the process that produced Durotoye, they went on to contest the 2019 presidential election under different political parties.
Also, there was the coalition formed by thirty-nine political parties under the aegis of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), and another by coalition of socio-cultural groups, they both jointly adopted the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar as its candidate in the 2019 presidential election.
Coalitions are not new to Nigeria political landscape, however, the manner and controversy that has greeted the birth of the National Consultative Front is surprising and leaves much to be desired.
It raises questions about those behind the formation of the coalition and why they have failed to publicly identify with the group.
Experience from similar groups formed in the past as shown that in most instances, it is not about forming political party or an alliance but their ability to compete with the two leading parties in the country and to survive the nation’s monetise political system?
“Well, I think all political groups are evolving and not static, in the past we fought and drove the military away, but what we have now is not a democracy ; the system is monetised and that as affected other political organisations from making progress.
“But we cannot say we cannot make effort, most of the people in the parties are people who fought the military, a lot them enjoying this democracy now don’t know how it came about they are for there for themselves.
“I think any group of individuals organisations that want to come together to offer a new platform is welcome, we should not just write them off,” Silvestre Odion, Professor of political science from the University of Lagos (LASU) said.
Odion further said Nigerians must be optimistic and be ready to make sacrifice for the needy change they need in the country
“Nigerians must be optimistic and ready to take that move, there was such in Senegal no one gave them a chance when they were coming together.
“Right now the country is in state of confusion, the killings, kidnapping, I mean confusion everywhere, we are close to a failed state, every political action to rescue the country should be welcome in view of where we are now,” Odion added.
Some political watchers, however, think the country cannot perpetual be on electioneering without a corresponding time for governance.
With 18 registered political parties in the country, it is believed that this can accommodate any groups and individuals who seek to make a change rather than set up another political party which are often left dormant after they had failed to actualise their mandate.
Perhaps, what Nigerians need now was good governance, visionary and purposeful leadership from the current elected crops of leaders that would translate to improve standard of living among the populace, infrastructures development and robust economy.
“Forming a group is not bad like the one they wanted to do or are forming, but I don’t think they are serious, the people named have said they are not part of them, i think we have had such in the past, me and you know what came out of it.
“Politics in Nigeria is different, but you would agree with me that the masses equally want divided of democracy they are tired of voting, the sweet talk from politician and after election they would disappear, For now I don’t take them serious,” analyst Kayode Olawale said.
