Divisions are surfacing within opposition political parties, resulting in the establishment of the Concerned Political Parties (CPP) coalition
This collective effort, involving seven parties, is aimed at opposing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in their alleged plot to transform Nigeria into a one-party state.
The parties are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Following a gathering at the SDP national secretariat, the parties addressed journalists regarding the coalition’s formation.
In response, the Labour Party declared itself as the Third Force in the Nigerian political circle.
The LP mentioned that the seven political parties forming the coalition out of 16 are like-minded, emphasizing that they were not approached for participation.
After their meeting in Abuja, Shehu Musa Gabam, the national chairman of the SDP, told journalists that Nigeria’s economic problems cannot be resolved by the federal government’s budget based on theories.
Setinji Koshoedo, the acting national secretary of the PDP, representing the party’s national chairman, Umar Damagum, stated that the coalition’s purpose is to provide formidable opposition to the APC.
“This coalition wants to offer strong opposition for the good of Nigeria. We must offer alternative solutions to government policies.
“The government has not shown strategic moves to solve Nigeria’s problems. I think this government should review its policies,” he said
The national chairman of ADC Ralf Nwosu said, “The idea is to strengthen our democracy, we have seen that people in government are trying to stiffen viable opposition. Therefore, we are crying out, that what is happening in states like Kano, Plateau, and others is an indication that the government wants a one-party state. One political party state is not healthy for our country; let’s save our democracy,” he said.
Abba Kawu Ali, the acting national chairman of the NNPP, also affirmed their faith in the judiciary and the Supreme Court’s power to rectify any injustices
“There is no way millions of people will go out and vote for the person they want only for a few people to be in a room and decide otherwise. This is not healthy. But we believe in the judiciary that the wrongs of the past will be corrected. We were cheated in 2019 and in 2023, we are still faced with a similar challenge. The judiciary must be seen to be the last hope of the common man,” Ali added.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP last night, Obiora Iffoh, the national publicity secretary of the LP, asserted that as the third-largest political party, they should be leading the opposition.
“The coalition of the seven political parties is just a group of likeminds.
Even though we were not invited, as the third largest political party in Nigeria, we should be driving the opposition.
“The coalition of the seven political parties is just a group of like minds.
Even though we were not invited, as the third-largest political party in Nigeria, we should be driving the opposition
“But as I said, we have about 16 political parties in Nigeria and these seven that formed the coalition are just a group of like minds,” Iffoh added
In his assessment of the Bola Tinubu administration, Gabam said, “We have also looked at the issue of the Renewed Hope Budget. We have analyzed that budget and in our humble analysis and opinion, we believe strongly that the National Assembly (NASS) needs to step in and review the budget
“Our population is over 200 million, and by now, it must have doubled that number. We don’t want a budget that is theory-based, the budget must be operational. It is in the interest of the country for the leadership to develop an operational budget, not a budget based on projections and theories that cannot be realized.
“What we have also is a borrowing budget, the country is over-indebted and then there is more borrowing. So, we feel that the budget is not balanced, it is not in tandem with our national interest, the National Assembly must look into it passionately for the overall interest of Nigerians,” he said.
According to Gabam, “We have also looked into the issue of the judiciary, the judiciary is the last hope of the common man, if it still stands. We are worried about the level of instability the country is going through. If you look at recent developments in Zamfara, Nasarawa, Kano, and Plateau States, it is very clear that the judiciary must exercise extreme caution with some of its decisions.
“The judiciary should strengthen their conviction towards delivering judgments that can stand the test of time. They should not allow politicians to infiltrate their rank, sanity, and capacity to deliver judgments that are sound and can be recognized internationally. We believe the Nigerian judiciary is well entrenched but must be devoid of Executive and political influence so that they know they are serving Nigeria and not any institution of government or political party.
He also alluded to the insecurity in the country when he said, “We have looked at the security situation in the country with a lot of concern. When the president came in, he promised to do everything humanly possible to secure the lives and properties of Nigerians. We want to urge him to do more than he is doing, the security situation is not improving. For him to have a conducive environment where people can invest domestically and internationally, the nation must be secured.”
Kanyi Daily recalls that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had criticized Bola Tinubu’s 2024 fiscal year budget of N27.5 trillion, stating that it is deceptive and lacks the necessary mechanisms for economic recovery.
