2019: Soyinka, Agbakoba, Balewa, others form coalition to overthrow Buhari, APC

Very prominent Nigerians and groups, among whom are Wole Soyinka, Olisa Agbakoba, Abduljalil Tafawa Balewa and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), have formed a Grand Political Coalition in bid to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), led by President Muhammadu Buhari ahead the 2019 polls.

The emergence of the coalition was announced Sunday via a communique which the group said was the outcome of its summit held on Wednesday, March 21, 2018 in Abuja.

At the heart of its resolutions was a decision “to work in unison under the umbrella of the newly formed Grand National Political Coalition of the diverse peoples, movements and stakeholders of Nigeria towards overthrowing the current decadent pauperizing political order in Nigeria and to replace it with a prospering democratic and inclusive political system and culture.”

The group claims to have over 5 million registered Nigerians in its fold.

The communique reads in full:

SOYINKA, AGBAKOBA, BALEWA, YERIMA, EMINENT NATIONAL LEADERS, LABOUR MOVEMENT, POLITICAL PARTIES, OTHERS ENDORSE GRAND NATIONAL COALITION FOR 2019 ELECTIONS

BEING THE COMMUNIQUE OF THE 2018 GRAND NATIONAL POLITICAL SUMMIT, HELD ON WEDNESDAY, 21ST MARCH, 2018 AT NICON LUXURY HOTEL, ABUJA

PREAMBLE:

We the over five million registered members of the Grand Political Coalition of newly inaugurated Fresh breed rainbow political movement facilitated by Nigeria Intervention Movement, NIM, comprising 35 Registered Political Parties in Nigeria, Labour and Civil society Leaders, Women groups, Youth movements, the coalition of Persons with special needs, Professional Icons, eminent national leaders and other prominent stakeholders in Nigeria, following the adoption of the manifesto and constitution of our newly inaugurated movement and a careful overview of the presentations, deliberations and inputs of our leaders and cadres at the 2018 Grand Political Summit held at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja on the 21st Day of March, 2018, hereafter state the following as our Agreements and Resolutions.

OUR AGREEMENTS:
We are collectively unequivocal that:
1. Nigeria is tilting rapidly towards social and political disharmony and anarchy. Therefore urgent political actions must be put in place by all well meaning folks to stem the drift and rebuild social cohesion amongst the Nigerian citizenry

2. The present governance structure of Nigeria must therefore be constitutionally redefined and structured to be more democratic and citizen inclusive

3. There must be a concerted drive to bring about a new Nigeria that works for all and such new Nigeria, in our view, must guarantee the safety and freedom of each citizen of Nigeria

4. That wanton killings in whatever guise of Nigerians is unacceptable and viewed in serious terms as pure failure of governance and political system at both the National and Sub –national strata

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5. Every Nigerian adult must as a matter of social responsibility obtain a voters card and participate in the recruitment process of public office holders, who seek for elective offices, and that the Grand Coalition as an interventionist force should interface with all willing political forces who share the above stand towards developing standards for all aspirants or candidates aspiring for elective office in the 2019 elections.

OUR RESOLUTIONS:
Based on the above we have resolved to;

i. Work in unison under the umbrella of the newly formed Grand National Political Coalition of the diverse peoples, movements and stakeholders of Nigeria towards overthrowing the current decadent pauperizing political order in Nigeria and to replace it with a prospering democratic and inclusive political system and culture

ii. Commence nationwide sensitization, advocacy and public awareness program on the need for every adult citizen of Nigeria irrespective of class and creed to obtain a voters card and engage in the emerging ballot based-PVC revolution initiated by NIM to democratically dislodged the entrenched corruptive political order in the country

iii. Identify and recruit more national change agents and credible leading lights of Nigeria, who would become champions towards the actualization of a new Nigeria of our collective dreams under the umbrella of the newly initiated Grand Political Coalition

iv. Engage in grassroot and mass media mobilization at all levels with special focus on local communities and the Youths ahead of the 2019 electoral revolution initiated by the movement

v. Organize rallies and meetings with social, cultural groups across the country with a view of pursuing our agenda for inclusiveness and collective ownership of the Grand Coalition of NIM

vi. Hold Zonal, State and Local Government summits simultaneously for the sole purpose of ensuring that all adult Nigerians not only obtain their voters cards but vote for the candidates that meet the agreed standards set by the Grand Coalition at the Summit

vii. Commission Researches, production of documentaries, information leaflets, jingles and also the production and distribution of the NIM newsletters in English and all the major Nigerian languages towards the mobilisation of all Nigerians for the 2019 ideological paradigm shift in power configuration of Nigeria

ENDORSEMENT:
The Grand National Political Coalition, co Chaired by a Legal Icon and human Rights Leader in Nigeria, Dr Olisa Agbakoba SAN and Dr Abduljalil Tafawa Balewa, Son of the Former Prime Minister of Nigeria, also received strong backing and boost from eminent national leaders at the inauguration Summit.

Notable among those who gave their nod and backing to the Grand Coalition are; Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, who threw a big challenge to the movement to take back the country from reactionary forces, President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Waba, who sent in a powerful delegation, which include Comrade Isa Aremu, Comrade Ikpe Obon

 

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