Coalition of Progressive Political Parties on Friday called on the 74 de-registered political parties to rethink strategy to change Nigeria’s political trajectory instead of seeking legal action.
Chairman of the coalition, Mr Bashir Ibrahim, made the call in a communique at the end of the group’s national caucus meeting in Abuja.
Ibrahim advised the 74 political parties recently de-registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to come together and work out strategies for moving Nigeria in the right direction.
The Coalition, which is made up of 18 political parties, also advised the deregistered parties not to put too much store in litigation as the legal process is long, tortuous, expensive, uncertain and not necessarily worth the effort.
“Parties who wish to embark on the struggle for a better Nigeria should come together to work out strategies for making lasting impact by changing the nature of politics in Nigeria.
“There is need to change politics away from the usual struggle for patronage and public office for personal gain to the struggle to free the nation from the bondage of corruption and bad governance at all levels.‘’
Bashir said that the coalition had been very active in supporting the current administration at the electoral level and in its fight against insecurity, corruption and the restoration of economic growth.
He said that the group, however, see the deregistration of some of its members as an opportunity to rethink strategy and reposition its collective assets towards the search for a better Nigeria.
Bashir said that politics was not just about power but about public service, empowering citizens in all facets of their lives and putting the interest of the nation above all personal, group and political considerations.
“Our support for President Muhammadu Buhari remains solid but we are thinking ahead and beyond the current dispensation towards a Nigeria that works for all Nigerians regardless of their position in life, political affiliations and geographical location.
“We want to dismantle the existing patronage system, which is created over the last twenty years and replace it with a merit-based system to enable every Nigerian access power, economic opportunity and social amenities regardless of any other consideration,” he said.
According to Bashir, the coalition is multi-partisan in nature taking the opinion of each member into consideration before arriving at a decision. (NAN)
