Ahead of 2019 presidential election in Nigeria, 14 new breed presidential aspirants have agreed to form a pact to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress, APC, government and “rescue Nigeria from the brink of collapse through visionary leadership.”

The presidential aspirants who, rising from a communiqué on Tuesday, 31st July 2018, said it became imperative that they come for the rescue of the country because leadership by those who have been in power has failed the country.

The aspirants warned Nigerians against falling prey to what they described as “defections and counter-defections from and to various political parties as well as formation of coalitions by the same breed of politicians and leaders whom, according to them, have brought untold hardship and underdevelopment to the country.

The visionary aspirants who formed the pact are: Thomas-Wilson Ikubese; Comrade Eragbe Anslem; Sowore Omoyele; Fela Durotoye; Tope Fasua; Sina Fagbenro-Byron; Jaye Gaskia and Ahmed Buhari. Others are, Mathias Tsado; Victor Ani-Laju; Alistair Soyode; Godstime Sidney Iroabuchi; Clement Jimbo and Elishama Ideh.

They said, as visionary leaders, they would unite Nigerians because unity is the focal ingredient for the development of a nation.

The communiqué reads thus:

“It is no longer debatable that our country Nigeria has been brought to her knees, and is tottering on the brink of collapse.

In no more than the life of a generation, our nation and people are witnessing the catastrophic failure of governance and the near collapse of virtually all our national institutions; such that we have now become the country with the largest concentration of poor people in the world.

The ties that bind us together are today under such enormous pressures, that we can say, without any doubt, that never in our history have we been confronted by such a scale and scope of existential crises.

We are very clear in our minds and share the collective conviction, that our present woes, in their history, is as a result of collective failure of leadership by those who have been in the leadership of our country for decades, and the establishment that have institutionalised support in their self-interest and visionless leadership.

We share the grievance and anger of our people, as well as their yearnings and aspirations for a new Nigeria different from the one bequeathed on us by our leaders from independence in 1960 till date 31st July, 2018.

We are categorical about those who should accept responsibility for our failures as a nation 1960-2018; and as visionary presidential aspirants coming together under PACT, we are united in our convictions, that our national rebirth can be achieved through collective engagements to install a new political order in 2019 by taking up leadership responsibilities in the overall common good.

We are conscious of the fact that, the ploy, by the establishment form new coalitions with the antics of defection from party to party, is a ploy calculated at ensuring that power does not slip out off their hands.

We denounce such coalition and defection forming-pranks and antics as calculated attempts to deceive the mass of our people.

We call on the mass of our people, who are victims of their misrule, not to allow them to be deceived again.

This is why those of us who represent a new crop and paradigm shift in leadership, and embodiment of a new vision have agreed to come together and work for the realization a greater Nigeria for the actualization of our full potentials in human and materials resources.

Suffice it to say that, those of us who have indicated interest with our aspirations to lead our country avowed to engage a radical transformational developmental process by way of this resolution reached today Tuesday, 31st of July 2018 as we deliberate on the challenges of our country, with a commitment and resolve to begin the process of taking collective ownership of this renaissance struggle aimed at national rebirth in rebuilding the nation.

OUR RESOLVE AND DECISIONS

In the light of the foregoing and as a response to the collective yearnings and aspirations of our people; we have resolved as follows:

1: Recognising that at the core of our existential challenges as a people and nation is the failure of leadership;

2: we affirm, that as the new face of visionary leadership for our country, we are collectively stepping into the fray, to fill the leadership vacuum, and offer leadership at this momentous juncture in our history;

3: We affirm that collectively, we are committed to the process of building a United Front to mobilize our people to lead the change we desire during the 2019 general elections;

4: We understand that Unity is a process, and not an event, and as such, we undertake to effect necessary steps towards consolidating on the process of building a united front based on shared vision and ideas;

5: Towards this end, we are in agreement that internal party processes towards producing eventual party candidates and flag bearers should be allowed to reach its logical conclusion;

6: Furthermore, we are committed to step up the process of building a united front once party candidates have emerged; and shall continually hold consultations among ourselves and broker conversations with our parties towards ensuring that we are able to present a United Front towards the 2019 general elections;

7: Finally, we know that the 2019 general elections will be a historically decisive one; we know that the conditions are ripening for an electoral process with outcome that can be revolutionarily transformative.

8: We embrace this process of the 2019 election as a revolution.

IN CONCLUSION:

Recognising the crises we face as a people, and understanding that the collective leadership failure of the current ruling establishment is responsible for this failure; we have stepped forward, to stand in the breach, and provide the new type of visionary leadership for our country;

Such new leadership, so sorely needed is the basic requirement for us to achieve national and human development and realise our full potential as a people and nation.

We affirm, that we are the embodiment of the new Nigeria, and of the process to achieve our national liberation as a country, social emancipation as a people, and societal rebirth and renewal.

We represent the future of our country, a future which begins now; and we know it.

We take collective ownership of that mission.

Our future is determined now !”

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