14 govs, 13 former govs, three ex-Senate Presidents meet to save Nigeria

100 eminent Nigerians across business, politics and civil society met last weekend in Lagos to chart the way forward for the country.

They came together under the auspices of “The 2022 Committee.”

The Conveners of the Committee, Nduka Obaigbena, the Chairman of THISDAY Media Group, and former Presidential Liaison Officer to the Senate, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, said in a statement on Wednesday the non-partisan retreat which took place from February 4 to 6, was aimed at mapping out a new consensus for national rebirth.

The forum was attended by 14 current governors, 13 former governors and three former Senate Presidents.

According to the statement, the participants who were divided into three sub-committees of National Security, The Economy and Nigeria in Transition, agreed that there is an “urgent need to seek common ground and irreducible minimum actions to stabilise the polity at this critical time of transition.”

The committee, however, dismissed reports that it was aligning with political parties and certain candidates for the 2023 elections.

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The statement said: “Whilst The 2022 Committee is interested in the quality of leadership that will emerge in Nigeria at all levels, we consider attempts to link the Committee with candidates or political parties for the 2023 elections as an unwarranted and unnecessary distraction – candidates are only chosen by political parties and we are not a political party.”

The statement noted that though the participants were the country’s leading lights with capacity for national leadership, only a few of them had already publicly declared their aspirations to lead the country and were desirous of working with other patriots for greater national goals.

“We must have a secure, peaceful and united nation before we can have candidates for political offices.

“As we work with Federal and State Governments, current and future political leaders of all political persuasions, as well as other eminent patriotic citizens, for the greater good of the Nigerian people, we therefore called on all patriotic volunteers, who are willing and able, to join this collective effort to stabilise the system so that a new Nigeria, that all can be proud of, could be built,” the statement added.

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