By Ayo Okulaja
April 9, 2010 01:53AM
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Nigerians should not allow the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), run the country aground, the Protem National Chairman of the mega party, the Social Democratic Movement Party (SDMP), Pat Utomi, said yesterday in Lagos.

Mr. Utomi, who spoke during a chat with journalists, outlined the policies and priorities of the new party and its desire to rescue Nigeria from the brinks of collapse under the PDP.

“There is a consensus that our country is in very serious trouble, and that at the heart of the trouble is a fundamental-cultural challenge with the PDP, which has been the dominant political party in Nigeria for the last decade,” he said.

The former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2007 elections, said if the PDP continues to run the affairs of the country, the nation is bound for failure.

“There is a conviction amongst people who are giving to thinking that if the PDP runs Nigeria for the next four years, there will not be a Nigeria,” he said, saying it was for this reason that some people of goodwill, integrity and competence have come together to decide that “it is time to work together to create a political party that can pull Nigeria away from the brink and show it a new light.”

Mr. Utomi said a two-year long meeting around the Mega Summit Movement has led to the creation of a new party, the Social Democratic Movement Party (SDMP), which he claims will be an entrepreneurial party focused on market economy and backed by the goodwill of all the people.

He traced the beginning of the party’s initiative to elder statesman, Anthony Enahoro, who consulted with leaders around the country on the need to save the country with the formation of a broadbased political party, with a spirit opposed to that of the PDP, which he described as “dominant, narcissistic, self-loving, and self-serving.”

Mr. Utomi said himself and Sule Amman, the co-chairs of some of the mergers that led to the movement, agreed with other leaders in the early days of the party’s formation that the fundamental values and goals of the party would force people that are not so well-aligned to its goals to depart the party.

Education and Health as priority

The party, he said, would be one of discipline, service, integrity and with very clear ideas of how to solve identified Nigeria’s problems. He listed education and health as the main priority of the party. Other priorities will be power supply, stimulating economic activities through job creation, fighting corruption, and electoral reform.

Ahead of the 2011 elections, Mr. Utomi called for the quick commencement of electoral reforms, saying, “if we do not start now, there might not be election in 2011.”

The SDMP application would be officially submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) office on the 19th of April.

“We will give INEC 30 to 31 days after which, if we do not hear from them, we will take it that we have being registered and kick off our programmes, because that is what the law says,” he said.

http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/Politics/5552313-146/utomi_announces_formation_of_social_democratic.csp

Can Utomis new party deliva? Dats d only question I hav do we hav membas frm dis forum in dat party.

The time is rily nigh 4 nairalanders to take their destiny into their hands can we start our negotiations online so we can form our platform.

Why do these guys even bother??

People like Pat Utomi will never win the presidential election . . . . . . . . .IN NIGERIA!

Besides, I don't understand the rationale behind forming a party months before an election.

For me I think I like this guy,truth is formation of a political party may not necessarily be for him to contest but to provide a platform where like minds can come together to actualize their dreams.One can only hope that these aspirations are for good.

is this the big 'mega party' they keep talking about or is this one of those hopeless igbo made private enterprise parties that pop up in the thousands around election season?

I've always wanted a return of the SDP even in the form of the SDMP. Good choice. Socialists abi? Well, I'm just confused about this Ogbe-Buhari-Utomi union. I'm not saying they shouldn't be in the party, but not at the level of Chairman and Secretary. How's it even possible to make Buhari the secretary of anything? They should be patrons or non-Exco members.

I believe in the party though to the extent that they're going to absorb ALL the other smaller parties into their fold. If they can't negotiate that deal, they can't get the Presidency. I will not vote in any party that nominates Buhari as their candidate, whether as President or Vice. The man only understand how to run government as a Monarchy.


They should get involved with corporate Nigeria. Let's see CEOs and board members of successful major corporations declare support for them. Let's see this SDP outline a real agenda (not "I will create jobs", "I will alleviate poverty", "I will put an end to hunger". Let's see the younger generation of Nigerians they will nominate as their candidates. Let's see them reject cross-carpeting of those perpetual enemies of Nigeria into their party rather than celebrating it.

Pat does not hav a following capable of deliverin d presidency, why doesn't he concentrate on his senatorial district by one of d major parties, do wat he has 2 do nd get into d senate nd den he cld be closa 2 his dreams. In my opinion continous formation of parties dat hav no standin shld be discouraged, a partn is not meant to be homogenous, people of different shade nd characters cld cohabit in a party. That's y I believ dat if we @ NL wit all our divergent views can colapse into a party in d true interest of d nation we wld be able 2 rival pdp nd possibly bring d long awaited revolution.

With the little I know about Utomi I know he is not a tribalist,So I can safely say this is not a political party representing a few geographical political zones.As for the mega party,there has been conflicting reports in the news as to the leadership,who will in or out.I can't say if this is what we have been waiting for.

marvix:

Can Utomis new party deliva? Dats d only question I hav do we hav membas frm dis forum in dat party.

The time is rily nigh 4 nairalanders to take their destiny into their hands can we start our negotiations online so we can form our platform.

but I agree with u when you say we should try and belong to a party,truth is yes we can this happens to be a forum with alot of progressives

Well, let us wait and see. But I think this might be what all prgressive people are looking for.

What do you have against the great patriotic leader Buhari? Do you forget he is the only genuine anti-corruption leader we have ever had?
Let us just be grateful that he is still healthy enough at 68 to still want to help our nation.

nex:

How's it even possible to make Buhari the secretary of anything? They should be patrons or non-Exco members.

I will not vote in any party that nominates Buhari as their candidate, whether as President or Vice. The man only understand how to run government as a Monarchy.

I think they need to talk to some of the other parties and merge and have a mega party to be able to get rid of PDP . . . PDP is a shark that cant be troubled by some little fish.

I think we have had enough parties

I think we should reduce them to a maximum of 10.

In the ideal world we should have 2 parties and then room for independent candidacy.

State funding of political parties should also end because it looks as though people just form parties to collect these funds.

True talk mike cos if me nd u form party we go beat most of dose parties 4 elections. Reducin d num of political parties is even more important dan sackin Iwu.

mikeansy:

I think we have had enough parties

I think we should reduce them to a maximum of 10.

In the ideal world we should have 2 parties and then room for independent candidacy.

State funding of political parties should also end because it looks as though people just form parties to collect these funds.

I even think 10 is too much.
At least now they have given people the opportunity to run as independent

Didnt Pat Utomi hear that Soyinka also floated party? Abeg, make Pat jeje go join Soyinka party, instead of splitting the "righteous" vote.

@ Ibime,

the question you should be asking is if Soyinka was part of the mega party deal?

This political jokers are at it again

I concur!
However all these events and discussion may prove to be academic if the elections are rigged again!

quote author=Ibime link=topic=427577.msg5864018#msg5864018 date=1270856783]
Didnt Pat Utomi hear that Soyinka also floated party? Abeg, make Pat jeje go join Soyinka party, instead of splitting the "righteous" vote.
[quote][/quote]