By Patrick Andrew
Abuja
Action Democratic Party (ADP) is in no doubt that both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) do not have the magic wand needed to liberate Nigeria from the economic, political, and insecurity shackles currently afflicting her.
Chairman of Board of Trustees (BoT) of The Unity Bridge, the North Central pan socio-cultural that floated the party last week, Senator Joseph Waku, said the fledgling political party had enough momentum to snatch power from the existing political parties come the general elections in 2019.
Though Waku acknowledged that the Action Democratic Party (ADP) was only the political arm of the North Central’s pan socio-cultural organisation, he said the people of the zone were disconcerted with the lack of visionary leadership exhibited by the leading political parties in Nigeria, and, therefore, was determined to rescue Nigeria from the current economic and political precipice.
He said the performances of the current political parties “do not leave much to be desired, but clearly showed that they lack the capacity, integrity and credibility to lift Nigeria from the current economic recession noting that rather than proffer solutions to the motley of problems they created, these parties have constituted themselves further burdens on the people.”
Speaking through Chief Mike Nku, he said The Unity Bridge was compelled to activate its political arm in order to provide the needed platform and succour not only for the people of the North Central zone, but the whole country.
He said: “The Bridge is an association of North Central people. We are concerned about the economic developments, and the general well-being of the people, and if we can realise that through whatever means that we can find, so be it.
“It is obvious the current structures have failed the people of Nigeria and we in the zone that have contributed so much in terms human and material resources to keep Nigeria together and strengthen the economy think the time is ripe to take charge of things at the charge.”
Though many have seen the ADP as part of the political re-alignment going on in the country ahead of the 2019 general elections, officials of the party have denied that saying, instead, that the North-central decided to float a party to have a credible voice like the South-west and South-east which they claimed had set up Ohaneze and Afenifere, respectively.
“We want to stand on a united front politically, economically, and culturally. Our core values have been inclusivity, consultations, and tolerance of views and persons of who they are.”
Waku, who re-echoed this position, said the leadership of The Unity Bridge would embark on “serious consultations with its people and extend similar consultations to other zones with a view to building a formidable structure that would turn around the fortunes of Nigeria.”