Obasanjo’s coalition adopts African Democratic Congress (ADC) as platform

 

 

The Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) formed by the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has becomes a political party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), to bring about desirable change in the country’s polity and governance.

Obasanjo announced this at a press conference on Thursday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, in a text entitled ” My Treatise for Future of Democracy and Development in Nigeria”, that the political party would consolidate on the democracy that would bring about real development to all Nigerians.

Obasanjo flanked by his former special adviser on Political Affairs, Chief Gbolade Osinowo and former Secretary to the State Oyo State Government, Chief Olayiwola Olakojo, submitted that Movement was formed based on alleged mis-governance, poor performance, condonation of misconduct, incompetence, denial and scapegoatism among others on the part of the government in power.

He noted that the Coalition from inception was not a political party but a movement that would stimulate the interest of the youths and women, saying that the party (ADC)  would embrace the policy of 30 per cent youth of under 40 and 30 per cent women in all organs of the party.

The former president enjoined all Nigerians to join ADC, describing it as a reformed and reinvigorated party in which no former political party, movement, social and cultural organisation could claim ownership of.

He equally advised Nigerians not to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

“The ADC is a reformed and reinvigorated party, it will embrace all the features and policies which make CNM attractive and a source of hope and inspiration to millions at home and abroad.

” The ADC welcomes associates, other parties, groups and civil society organisations such as cultural, township unions and social organisations and interests.  No former political party, movement, social or cultural organisation should claim the sole ownership of the renewed ADC.

” In name, it is relatively old but in establishment, organisation, membership, policies, programmes, orientation and focus, it is new.  If this is not understood, accepted by all and made the foundation and pillar of the political party, it will be starting on a very shaky foundation and it will soon fall.

” I will advise others to join this political party platform to usher in a new dawn for Nigeria, but I may not be able to advise anybody to join PDP or APC no matter what window-dressing reformation they may claim.

“Although PDP would seem to have realised the mistakes of its immediate past of the last eight years or so, its present evolution would, by itself, not give confidence to well-meaning Nigerians who are interested in a new Nigeria in the hands of God that will have leadership, governance, development and values within our culture as its guiding principles with the attributes of honesty, integrity, patriotism, love, unity, industry, incorruptibility, good neighbourliness, faithfulness, trust, courage and love and fear of God held aloft.

“PDP offered an apology without disciplining those who set Nigeria on a course of ruin and some of them are still holding leadership roles in their party.  Nigerians may forgive, but Nigerians should never forget; otherwise, they will be suffering from amnesia and the same ugliness may raise its head again.

” APC, as a political party, is still gloating and revelling in its unrepentant misgovernance of Nigeria and taking Nigerians for fools.  There is neither remorse nor appreciation of what they are doing wrong.  It is all arrant arrogance and insult upon injury for Nigerians.

“Whatever the leadership may personally claim, most Nigerians know that they, Nigerians, are poorer today than when APC came in and Nigeria is more impoverished with our foreign loan jumping from $3.6 billion to over $18 billion to be paid by the present and future generations of Nigerians.

” The country is more divided than ever before because the leadership is playing the ethnic and religious game which is very unfortunate.  And the country is more insecure and unsafe for everybody.  It is a political party with two classes of membership,” he said.

Obasanjo insisted that both parties, PDP and APC had failed Nigerians in the last eleven years and that there was the need for a basic and fundamental ground for change.

He said, “What is not desirable is to take the leprous hand of either of them can and must be grafted to the clean hands of new entrants and participants to move up and move on and that is what I understand the reinvigorated party platform is all about -change, new order and progress.”

Obasanjo added that all political parties that have emerged since 1999 have been so elitist; canvassing that elitism must be reduced drastically for popular participation.

The former president also said that party primaries elections should not be by delegates, but by card-carrying and financial members to curb corruption.

He advocated the involvement of over 25 million Nigerians living with disability in societal discourse and development.

“Elitism must be drastically reduced.  All the political parties that have emerged since the present dispensation in 1999 have been too elitist, and have gradually lost internal democracy, leaving room for corruption and dictatorship.

” The greatest lacuna in political party administration in Nigeria since the present dispensation is the ownership of the political party through a regular contribution of the members of the party for the upkeep of the party.

“Worse still is what PDP has now accepted as part of its failure and disappointment of the nation which is looting government treasury to finance individual and party elections.  Unfortunately, APC has followed suit.

” To curb corruption, primary elections should cease to be by delegates but by all card-carrying and financial members of the party within their constituencies,” he said.

He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure transparent accounting as a way of checkmating corruption in politics, especially at primary elections level.

Also, canvassed that INEC should be the only electoral body to conduct all elections at the local, state and national levels. This is

Obasanjo called on the National Assembly to rid itself of corruption by making its remuneration in tune with the nation’s social and economic reality.

He said, “The National Assembly must rid itself of corruption, and it can do it.  It must also make its remuneration relevant to Nigerian economic and social reality.  It can also do it.

“Then it must make laws and amend the Constitution to have one INEC for all elections in the country, strict and scrupulous funding and accounting of all electoral campaigns and all elections.

“The INEC must be given power to supervise, control and regulate campaign funds and funds and contribution to political parties.  The National Assembly must amend the Constitution to allow Nigerians in the diaspora with current Nigerian passports to vote in all Nigerian elections at Nigerian Embassies abroad.

“The National Assembly should also legislate 30% youth of under 40 and 30% women into all organs of political parties and into all institutions of governments.  It should be a great step forward.”