By Cross Udo, Abuja
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, no fewer than 15 aspirants have indicated interest to contest for the Presidential ticket of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.

This was disclosed during a chat with journalists yesterday in Abuja by the party’s National Caretaker Committee.

Recall that the former national Secretary of NNPP, Ambassador Agbo Major, on the side-lines of the Special National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja said that the party had opened up a discussion with the former Governor of Kano State, Senator Musa Kwankwaso, over his possible defection to the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He said in a matter of days, the two-time Kano State governor would join the party alongside his allies, adding that the party has accommodated members of the Kwankwasiya Movement.

In a prepared text he read during the briefing in Abuja yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary Caretaker Committee of the NNPP, Ambassador Agbo Major said that the party is being repositioned, reorganised, and expanded to accommodate millions of Nigerians yearning for a change in government at all levels in the country ahead of the crucial 2023 general election.

He said, “It is obvious that the state of the nation is bad. As a major stakeholder in the democratic process, NNPP is on a rescue mission to redirect the ship of the nation from its perilous course.
“After over 22 years of constitutional rule, Nigerians desire and deserve a strong, virile, united, progressive, prosperous, and equitable democratic society. Previous governments failed to make the Nigerian dream possible. Fellow compatriots are today more impoverished than they were in 1999 as the much-taunted dividends of democracy remain a mirage.

“As a mass movement, a third leg in the nation’s political tripod, and a leading opposition party in the country, the New Nigeria Peoples Party has become the beautiful bride of Nigerian democracy.

“The ongoing alignment and realignment of political forces are eloquent testimony of the Party’s determination to win future elections in the country and salvage our dear nation from the jaws of political buccaneers masquerading as democrats with the sole intention to loot our common patrimony.

“In recent times, our great Party has been welcoming numerous Nigerians with shared ideology, progressivism, mission, and vision. Prominent among them are esteemed members of The National Movement (TNM), Kwankwasiyya Political Movement, Market Women Groups in Osun and Gombe States, Youth Groups, defectors from other political parties, and the masses who desire a new Nigeria which only the New Nigeria People’s Party government can usher in.

“To accommodate the high influx of new members into our great Party, its national leadership recently dissolved all organs and executives at all levels under the Constitution of NNPP 2018 as amended.

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“The Party has successfully conducted Ward, Local Government and State Congresses across the country. However, State Congresses in Rivers, Imo, Plateau, and FCT were suspended due to minor disagreements. The Caretaker Committee has invited leaders of the affected States to the National Secretariat of our great Party for an amicable resolution of the issues raised. Thereafter, the Congresses in these States will be conducted.

“The party’s zonal congresses are scheduled to hold on 28th March 2022, across the Federation. The climax of these giant strides in repositioning the Party is the National Convention which will hold in Abuja on 30th March to elect substantive national officers of the Party.”

The Publicity Secretary flanked by the party’s National Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Air Vice Marshal John Ifemeje (retd.), further said, “As Nigerians continue to embrace NNPP, our great Party has so far received 15 presidential aspirants and several aspirants for Governorship, Senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly seats.”

The party said since Independence in 1960, “Nigerians have never had it so bad despite trillions of naira borrowed from foreign countries to improve the wellbeing of the people. The situation is equivalent to pouring water into a bottomless pit.”

“Sadly, the nation gropes in the dark of power outage, perennial fuel scarcity, elongated insecurity, hunger, economic recession, political upheavals, confusion and uncertainty as if there is no government in place.

“With an abiding faith in God and confidence in patriotic Nigerians, a new Nigeria is possible and achievable with the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).”

Fielding question from journalists, the National Chairman, Ifemeje dismissed the insinuation that the party was a dumping ground for the aggrieved members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who lose out in the power struggle in the parties.

He said, “Our party is not for the aggrieved. It is not a party for people jumping from one party to another. We can’t continue to recycle rubbish and expect the country to move forward. This party is on God’s mission to salvage this country.”

He also said that the party does not believe in any zoning arrangement; rather it chooses its candidates based on merit and ability to deliver and devoid of any ethnic or religious consideration.