Dr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN

Foremost Human Rights Activist and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba SAN has said he is neither part of nor has anything to do with the new political movement; the National Consultative Front NCF.

No fewer than 30 Nigerian activists, academics, and other professionals had formed the new political movement called the NCF. Prominent among the founders, who are also part of the steering committee, include former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, former Senator Shehu Sani and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’abba said the new party will have an ideological outlook and mobilise Nigerians to take power like the African National Congress in South Africa.

In a statement he personally signed Thursday, the former NBA President said he was not contacted and therefore could not have been part of the movement.

The statement, which was in response to some media reports, which listed him as member of the steering committee reads in part: “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”.

It was gathered that the group’s objectives contained in a communiqué include mobilising Nigerians for a popular mass action towards political constitutional reforms that are citizen-driven and process-led in engendering a new peoples’ constitution.

Others listed as members of its strong steering committee former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia; Femi Falana SAN; Col. Abubakar Umar (rtd.), Prof Jibo Ibrahim; Yabagi Sanni; Amb, Nkoyo Toyo, Isa Aremu and Prof Chidi Odinkalu.

Others include Prof Remi Sonaiya, Mallam Tanko Yinusa, Alhaji Shettima Yerima, Lady Funke Awolowo, Peter Ameh and Ogbeni Lanre Banjo, among others.

According to the communique, they would embark on, “Immediate mass mobilisation of 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.

“The new movement shall also, without delay, mobilise for the economic wellbeing and prosperity of all Nigerians by demanding and ensuring that Chapter 2 of the present constitution i.e. fundamental objectives & directive principles of state policy becomes justiciable once and for all, while also mounting an articulate and vigorous campaign to deconstruct and reconstruct obnoxious election laws which have provided leeway for opportunists in the corridor of power to subvert the will of the electorate making voting irrelevant in determining who actually becomes elected in Nigeria.

“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 armed 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.”

In addition, NCF said it would work towards correcting the ills in Nigeria’s leadership