As the 2023 elections draw closer, many politicians who are at daggers draw with their political parties have started mulling the idea of forming an alternative platform to nurse or pursue their political ambition.
Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Kano-born politician and founder of the Kwankwasiyya political movement recently berated both the APC and PDP. Kwankwaso stated that, “These political parties have failed Nigerians and have nothing to offer anymore”.
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Kwankwaso, who was once a member of the two dominant political parties and recently floated his political platform – The National Movement (TNM), may be right. But he cannot exonerate himself from the rot the country found itself. That is why many Nigerians describe his rattlings or vituperations as one of those of a drowning politician who lost relevance and wants to reinvent himself.
However, Kwankwaso is not the first person to root or call for the formation of the third force. The former INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, once called for a third force to replace or wrestle power from APC in the forthcoming elections.
The slow pace of the country’s development since the return of democracy in the last two decades is worrisome to any right thinking Nigerian. But this can be attributed to leadership problems. Don’t blame our political parties. They are just mere platforms for leadership recruitment or simply avenues where leaders emerge.
In 1999 when the military administration headed by Abdulsalami Abubakar proposed the transition to civil rule, it hurriedly packaged and sold the multi-party system to Nigerians. Those political parties were bereft of any ideology as obtained in the First and Second Republics. One recalls, during the First and Second Republics, political parties had good manifestos and well-crafted policies for the country’s growth and development. One cannot match the qualities of defunct NPC, NEPU, NPN or PRP with our current PDP, APC or any other political party in the country. No wonder, in spite of the political intrigues that marred those administrations, Nigeria witnessed strong leadership and institutions, which resulted in socio-economic development.
Our today’s politicians are only looking for power. They are birds of the same feather. They see politics as a gravy train for power and wealth accumulation. Do they even care about ideologies? Certainly no. These politicians hardly stay in one political party. They defect from one political party to another for the sake of political power. This is the main reason why many Nigerians see “third force” as another old wine in a new bottle. To them, third force can never be a better alternative in 2023. Those who will float, bankroll and contest under it are the same failed politicians who have contributed to the country’s current challenges. While it may be true both the APC and PDP have failed Nigerians, the third force is nothing but another political gimmick aimed at swindling Nigerians.
The Third Force” looks like an offshoot of APC and PDP. Do Nigerians have a second option? I think, yes. For Nigeria to have a good leadership capable of addressing the country’s socio-economic malaise, Nigerians need to discard or throw away party politics. It has unarguably done more harm than good to Nigerian democracy. Instead, Nigerians should place much emphasis on electing credible candidates irrespective of their political parties.
Ibrahim Mustapha, Pambegua, Kaduna State
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