Olisa Agbakoba Dissociates Self From New Political Movement

Legal icon, Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has dissociated himself from a new political movement, the National Consultative Front (NCF).

In a statement by Mr. Agbakoba, he denied his involvement in the fronting of any political movement as widely reported in the media.

The statement reads:
“My attention has been drawn to a widely circulated story that I am part of a new political movement known as the National Consultative Front. Without prejudice to the need for such a political movement, I want to place it on record that I was not consulted and so I am not part of the National Consultative Front.”

The media (electronic and print) has reported that Olisa Agbakoba among other prominent Nigerians, who are professionals, activists and academics, have come together to form a new political party ahead of 2023 presidential elections.

The widely reported story was credited to a communique released on Wednesday by the new movement called National Consultative Front (NCF) at its National Secretariat in Abuja.

According to the communique, Olisa Agbakoba was one of a 30-member group along with former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’abba; a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Dr Obadiah Mailafia; Human Rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN); former military governor of Kaduna State, Col. Abubakar Umar (retd.); former minister of finance, Mrs Obigeli Ezekwesili; Alhaji Shettima Yerima and Funke Awolowo, Prof. Jibo Ibrahim, Yabagi Sanni, Isa Aremu, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, Senator Shehu Sanni,Amb, Nkoyo Toyo, Isa Aremu, Prof. Remi Sonaiya, Mallam Tanko Yinusa, Awolowo, Peter Ameh, and Ogbeni Lanre Banjo, among others.

Part of the adopted resolutions as contained in the communique reads:

“A new ideological mass movement shall be initiated to embark on an immediate mass mobilisation in the nooks and crannies of the country for popular mass action towards political constitution reforms that is citizens-driven and process-led in engendering a new peoples’ constitution for a new Nigeria that can work for all.

“To this end, we decry in categorical terms, the ongoing mindless massacre and kidnappings in the North-West, North-East, Southern Kaduna, the Middle Belt, Southern part of Nigeria and in fact the country at large by bandits and insurgents, who invade our communities, especially at night to inflict terror and murder on hapless residents and unsuspecting indigenes.

“We hereby call on those presently in charge of our Federal Government, military and security apparatus to immediately wake up and do everything to stop the ongoing senseless pogrom against the masses of our people.”