S’ Court: Rights Activist Tasks Tinubu, Atiku, Others On Coalition Of Former Presidential Aspirants

Social Development Practitioner and Human Rights Activist, Fidelis Onakpoma, has said that Nigeria is in a big fiscal and monetary crisis that may not be reversed in four years, adding that inflation has gone off the roof, unemployment is at an all-time high, while banditry, kidnapping, terrorism and insurgency have made the country generally unsafe.

This is why he has called for the Coalition of Former Presidential Aspirants, a combination of Political Actors with positive aspirations for nation building to harmonize their strategies in connection to transforming Nigeria, saying that Nigeria is in urgent need of a Coalition of leaders who have clear direction on how to get us out of the current doldrums.

Fidelis made the call while congratulating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his victory in the Supreme Court on Thursday, appealing that the Tinubu/Shettima led government should anticipate the Coalition of Former Presidential Aspirants who also believe in Nigeria’s emancipation, to come together and see how they can progressively reposition the nation to the best interest of the Nigeria people.

While urging Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and other 2023 Presidential aspirants not to retire home as usual but humble themselves in working together on the strength of their ideas, he noted that Nigerian Politicians are fond of withdrawing initial conceptions envisioned to transform the nation simply because they do not win their elections, and travel abroad to make further investments.

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“Both Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi may have had different approaches to making Nigeria better peradventure they became Nigeria’s President, even knowing fully that the trio cannot become a President at the same time, however, traveling abroad since you couldn’t win your election as Nigeria President is unpatriotic,” he asserted.

He continued: “With the final validation from the Supreme Court, it is imperative and an urgent reminder for these actors who unrelentingly pursued this cause with all vigor with the same ambition of leading our dear nation not to retire home hopelessly but stand up in solidarity to help Nigeria succeed. I call for a Coalition. I want their respective ideas to count because it is not true that until they become Nigeria President before they could offer their ideas; this Coalition of Former Presidential Aspirants has made it possible more than ever.

“Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are patriotic Nigerians who shouldn’t seal off their dreams of a better Nigeria simply because they didn’t win their elections.

“It is unpatriotic to wind off and perish with these aspirations when the possibility of coming together under the auspices of Coalition of Former Presidential Aspirants is attainable”.

Furthermore, he said: “Nigerian Politicians must stop deceiving us, they must demonstrate the sportsmanship that first grilled them into contesting and prove to the whole world that they would be available to also feature in the concerns of the nation regardless of election outcome, after all not all who contested must win an election.

“Therefore, there is a need for Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and other aspirants regardless of their political parties, since they believe in Nigeria’s emancipation, to come together and see how they can help Nigeria through the Renewed Hope Agenda”.

Fidelis hinted that the manifesto of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, tagged: ‘RESET Nigeria’ is in alliance with the SDGs 2030 Africa Union 2040 Children Agenda, as well as the 72-page manifesto of Peter Obi titled, ‘It’spossible: Our Pact with Nigerians’, with its overarching and visionary policy planks, laid out mission focus and mandate for securing, uniting and making Nigeria productive.

He emphasized that Atiku’s manifesto was based on a five-point development Agenda, to restore Nigeria’s unity, provide security, a strong economy, devolution of power, and improve education, while Peter Obi’s pact with Nigerians had seven priority areas, security, production centered economy, restructuring, digital economy, infrastructure, hum, an capital and diplomacy.

However, the Rights Activist Fidelis Onakpoma, argued that Nigerians should not be surprised if neither Atiku nor Peter Obi is brave and resilient enough to form a synergy hinged on repositioning Nigeria’s economy with the Tinubu/Shettima’s administration.