By Progress Godfrey, Abuja
Nigerian Professor and Chairman of the Big Tent, Pat Utomi, has said that politicians were offering millions of naira to Labour Party (LP) members to ensure their defection before the general election.
Utomi hinted this at the official unveiling and handing over of the Obi/Datti Independent Presidential Campaign Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to him, the formulation of parties in Nigeria was at the centre of Nigeria's challenges. He cited the ruling party, which he said was formed, merely to take over power, not for the benefit of Nigerians.
He said, “This is an extraordinary moment in the history of our country. It is a moment for us to learn the essence of synergy for renewal. Our country needs to be renewed. It is easy to blame x, y, and z for the problems of Nigeria, but it is time to look forward. A lot has gone wrong, the thing is that a new Nigeria is possible and we have to begin now. Central to the challenge of development that we have, is our failure to build real political parties.
“In the founding of the APC, focus on grabbing power over purpose prevented that real political party from emerging and we've seen the damage that has done to Nigeria. The focus on power over purpose has led to transactions of the nature that the people don't seem to matter but the outcome of the transactions.
“As I speak right now, some of those political parties are paying millions and millions to labour party officials to decamp. It is not about money, it is not about bribing labour party officials to announce that they are switching camps, that is not what will save Nigeria. What will save Nigeria is the will of the people being enthroned.”
Explaining further, Utomi said the Big Tent, a coalition of several political parties, was conceived out of the need to form a synergy between the labouty party and other parties to strengthen its traditional structures as well as incorporate the labour party base to fully garner momentum.
He, therefore, stressed the need to take the campaign to the rural areas to ensure that Nigerians were aligned with the message of taking Nigeria from consumption to production.
“The future that we are looking to is a government of national unity that will draw heads from within our country to redeem our country.
“We are in the final push season, the last mile. What matters most is that in the last few days, we activate, educate everybody in rural Nigeria particularly, keep them aligned to the message and in going to canvas the people door to door, ” Utomi further said.
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