Former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission Prof. Attahiru Jega and a number of politicians on Tuesday launched the Rescue Nigeria Project (RNP) in Abuja.
The initiators of the group said the RNP will provide an alternative political platform to the dominance of the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
Other promoters of the RNP include political economist Prof Pat Utomi, former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke; his former Kwara State counterpart, Abdulfatah Ahmed; Prof. Tunde Adeniran, Senator Lee Maeba, Usman Bugaje, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo and a former Kogi State deputy governor among others.
Ahmed said, while delivering a keynote address during the event, that the platform was formed due to the failure of the Buhari administration to manage the country’s diversity which has led to separatist calls by various ethnic groups.
“It is based on this that we decided to set up this Rescue Nigeria Project. We want to salvage this country and see how we can fix the mess. We want to set a template and key criteria leaders must have before they can attain any political position,” he said.
“Despite the great opportunities of the past, Nigeria has failed to live up to the dreams of its founding fathers and the hopes of successive generations of its citizens.
“Perhaps, at no other time have these failings become more apparent than in the past decade or so.
“In 2015, Nigerians overwhelmingly embraced the promise of change. These hopes have not only been dashed, but they have arguably turned out to be the worst political statements ever to be made in this country. Nigeria today appears set to fulfil all the prophecies of doom.”
