Stories By Ezeocha Nzeh
As political parties continue to strategize ahead of the 2023 political activities, an emerging “Third Force” has not been ruled out as stakeholders in the opposition have joined forces to present a presidential candidate from a yet to announced coalition of political parties
The coalition, according to leader of a political group under the auspices of the “Big Tent”, Professor Pat Utomi, would present an acceptable candidate who will possess the qualities of a honest, knowledgeable, competent and committed ;leader that will join hands with other members of the “Big Tent” to usher in a new Nigeria in 2023
Utomi, who spoke at the meeting of the group at the Aso Radio’s katampe hill premises in Abuja, disclosed that the “Big Tent” is made up of members from the various opposition parties, stressing that it has a membership list that surpasses the number of Nigerians that voted in the lasyt 2019 general election
He assured that the group will pitch its tent with one of the member political parties, adding that it will also make its position known by next week
“We need to set an agenda for this country, otherwise, we go he same wrong way. These problems we have all seen face to face, so what do we plan to do? What we have tried to do is to bring together social movement, political parties, we are trying to bring together vast cooperatives, including Labour.
“Our group members have been meeting, we have registered members with a number that is twice more of then the number that voted in the last 2019 general elections. I mean registered members that belong to this group we call the Big Tent. Assuming that we are able to manage this number that belong to this our frame, educate them properly, is clear that we can win the next election, or we are very likely to win the next election.
“So we are doing our methodical work to ensure that the needful gets done. We have met and met, what I can tell you is that we have a frame, and based on fusion and coalition, several political parties who are part of this Big Tent, we are on top of the INEC programme. The various political parties have different programmes, some want to fuse, some want to be part of a coalition to rescue Nigeria. There is no gain saying that Nigerian rulers have divorced Nigerians and the nation is at a crossroad.
“There has been attempts to bring together committed Nigerians from across the political divide, CSOs, Labour to discuss issues on how to liberate Nigeria, we will develop the issues which anybody who would want to lead the nation must listen to
“In the next week or so, we will choose one or the other to be the one that everybody who wants to come into for the purpose of the big office would come out of. But we have the Big Tent frame work that includes the ADC, PRP, NRM and others. WE will present one presidential candidate from this coalition, it has happened in Zambia, Kenya and other African countries, it can happen here and we will do that. We have a platform and the umbrella name for the platform is Big Tent and we will have one presidential candidate next year.
Utomi emphasized that, “more importantly, we think that this arrogance of one man coming out to say I am going to be your leader is pure arrogance and it must have to stop. I think that we need to change the narrative of how people come out to seek for elective offices. So that they will know that they are not going for themselves, but for the public. It is a matter of duty and service. We should be very honest to ourselves and country.
“Our desire to run from this Big Tent is not for our selfish interest unlike the others, but on how Nigeria could be better. We are going to do it again this year. If the Tent says I should go, I will because I am ready, it they say it’s another person; I will support the decision as we have done in the past. All we, at the Big Tent are looking for how to entrench a new and better Nigeria.”
