Balarabe, Falae, others form new party

Former Governor of old Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, former Finance Minister, Olu Falae, and others have formed Credible Alternative Alliance (CAA) as a counterweight to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Other names on board CAA include Mouktar Mohammed, Gbenga Kaka, Yahaya Dauda, Ibrahim Peters, and a leading member of the APC who prefers not to disclose his identity publicly yet.

Registered political parties in the CAA include Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Fresh Democratic Party (FDP), Nigeria Advance Party (NAP), Peoples Salvation Party (PSP), Change Advocacy Party (CAP), United National Party for Development (UNPD), and Peoples Progressive Party (PPP).

Civil society organisation in it include Social Housing Affordable Shelter (SHAS), Nigeria Graduates Economic Empowerment Foundation (NGEEF), Association of former Councillors and Ward Leaders, African Foundation for Agricultural Development (AFAD).

They also include Movement for Peace and Justice (MPJ), People United to Serve Humanity (PUSH), South South Professionals (SSP), Nigeria Youth Organisation (NYO),Youth Network for Peace Africa (YNPA), and Building Construction Association (BACSAAN).

Balarabe, who doubles as PRP leader, said “the objective of the alliance is to provide a platform for political parties that are not comfortable with both the PDP and APC. We have realised that no political party can go it alone.

“The PDP and APC that dominate the political space today are not capable of offering credible leadership that will translate to genuine development of the country.

“If the country must develop in the foreseeable future, there is the urgent need now for a third alternative. This is the cardinal reason behind the emergence of the Credible Alternative Alliance.”

Parties and organisations in the alliance will retain their separate identities but collaborate to produce credible leaders at various levels.

Balarabe decried the rot in the polity and warned that except Nigerians act promptly now to halt it, there will be no future for the country.

PPP National Chairman, Damian Ogbonna, who is also CAA National Coordinator, added that the new party will formally announce its presence this week in Abuja.

Ogbonna said CAA is open to all Nigerians, irrespective of party affiliation, and will back any candidate it feels can perform in office.

His words: “We are doing this to ensure that only people who are genuinely committed to the progress of Nigeria are given the opportunity to occupy elective offices.

“You cannot have the politics of endorsement going round, we are completely not for it. People should be allowed to contest for elective offices on merit.”

Ebenezer Oyetakin, NAP National Secretary and CAA Inaugural Committee Secretary, said the alliance will help sanitise the polity.

“We cannot just continue this way. There is the urgent need for this alliance so the Nigerian masses who are already showing signs of disenchantment with the status quo, will have an alternative platform to express their views during elections,” he added.

In a related development, the PDP has stopped the endorsement of candidates threatening to tear the party apart in states.

The decision was announced by the National Working Committee (NWC).

PDP National Secretary, Wale Oladipo, lamented in a statement that some state officials endorse candidates for election despite warning from the national leadership that they should remain unbiased umpires.