Chukwudi Nweje

 The Nigeria Intervention Movement (NiM) has endorsed a steering team co-chaired by legal luminary and rights advocate, Chief Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) and a medical expert and son of former Prime Minister of Nigeria, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa,  Abduljalil, to agree on a strategy plan and presidential candidate for the coalition, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

NiM, a coalition of 35 registered political parties, labour and civil society leaders, women groups, youth movements, coalition of persons with special needs, professional icons, eminent national leaders and other prominent stakeholders in Nigeria, believes it can offer a credible alternative in the 2019 general elections.

The movement believes “Nigeria is tilting rapidly towards social, political disharmony, anarchy and requires urgent political actions to stem the drift.”

It called on every Nigerian adult to participate in the recruitment process of public office holders who seek elective offices. In a communique issued by NiM Deputy Director General, Mallam Naseer Kura, yesterday, the group said they will work together towards what they call “overthrowing the current decadent pauperising political order in Nigeria and, to replace it with a prospering democratic and inclusive political system and culture.

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

“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. Every Nigerian adult must, as a matter of social responsibility, obtain a voter’s card and participate in the recruitment process of public office holders, who seek 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.”

 NiM promised to engage in “grassroots and mass media mobilisation, at all levels, with special focus on local communities and the youths, ahead of the 2019 electoral revolution initiated by the movement, organise rallies and meetings with socio-cultural groups across the country with a view to pursuing our agenda for inclusiveness and collective ownership of the grand coalition of NIM. Hold zonal, state and local government summits, simultaneously, for the sole purpose of ensuring that all adult Nigerians, not only obtain their voter’s cards but vote for the candidates who meet the agreed standards set by the grand coalition as the Summit Commission researches, production of documentaries, information leaflets, jingles and also, 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.”