2027: Splinter APC group moves to register with INEC

Team New Nigeria (TNN), a splinter group under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has announced plans to register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a political party.

Also, members of various support groups of the Obidient Movement in Delta State reconvened in Asaba, the state capital, over the weekend, to strategise on ousting the APC from governance in the 2027 general elections.

Similarly, pro-democratic advocates have unveiled the Political Party Performance Index (PPPI) to improve transparency and accountability in operations of political parties in the country.

Disclosing its break away from APC, TNN declared plans to form a new political party in the country to fight economic hardship and bad governance in the country.

TNN National leader, Modibbo Farakwai, who unveiled the plan in Kano, yesterday, lamented that the APC administration of President Bola Tinubu proved unfit to secure the country in the hands of terrorists.

According to Farakwai, TNN has set motion to mobilise millions of Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones to wrest power from APC in 2027 general election.

Although, the leader of the movement worried that despite being a founding member of APC and critical supporters that fought for victory of the party in the last election, members of TNN have completely been neglected in the scheme of things.

“There is widespread and rising poverty and unemployment across the length and breadth of the country. There is a complete and total decline in the quality of social services and an irremediable dilapidation in the country’s socio-economic infrastructure across board.

“There is an unprecedented fall in the nation’s standard of living and an astronomical rise in the standard of dying. In short, today, there is nothing going right, and we have become a nation in which nothing works as it should, that is, if it works at all,” Farakwai lamented.

He noted that TNN understood the critical challenges and solutions to end the protracted predicaments, but wanted Nigerians to look beyond the APC government in 2027.

The movement expressed discontent with the APC-led Federal Government, accusing it of confusion, lack of vision, and mediocrity, lamenting that it had subjected the country to untold hardship.

Speaking virtually at the Obidient Movement Conference themed ‘Reawakening and Harmonising Obidient Movement for a New Nigeria’, Prof. Pat Utomi emphasised the importance of good governance and progressive administration.

In his keynote address, Prof Chris Nwaokobia underscored the urgency of preparing for 2027. He stated, “The time is ripe to begin networking and creating a stronger movement than what we had in 2023 because the Federal Government is a monstrous failure.

“Hunger has become a common denominator; anger is on the streets. They have failed in just about everything. They don’t know what to do with the economy; the system is absolutely rudderless. Leadership has lost direction, and they are confused. If a new Nigeria is possible and the present era is a monstrous failure, the message of the movement will resonate even more.”

Earlier, Delta Obidient Elders Council Chairman, Chief Chris Biose, expressed concern over Nigeria’s underperformance.

“Nigeria has a vibrant population of over 200 million people with vast uncultivated agricultural land, yet citizens are dying of hunger, unable to feed themselves, and access basic standard facilities,” he said. “It is safe to say Nigeria is underperforming its potentials. It is a contradiction.”

The initiative designed by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) in collaboration with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) will assess the performance of political parties with the focus of tackling the menace of godfatherism, money politics and electoral laws violation.

Speaking at the unveiling of the PPPI in Abuja, at the weekend, Executive Director, KDI, Bukola Idowu, said the PPPI would systematically evaluate parties based on three key pillars: Inclusivity Practices, Legal Compliance, and Public Outreach.

According to him, the evaluation method drew inspiration from established indices such as the Western Balkans Political Parties Transparency Index, Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, the African Peer Review Mechanism, the United Nations Human Development Index, and the Queen’s University Electoral Integrity Project.

On his part, Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) Country Director, Adebowale Olorunmola, observed that the index was a call to action to revitalise Nigeria’s political parties.

He noted that while political parties play a critical role in shaping the nation’s democratic governance, their potential remains underutilized due to weak internal structures, limited inclusivity, and lack of accountability.

Also speaking, a gender and inclusion advocate, Ebere Efendu, said the PPPI would assess all 19 registered political parties in Nigeria as of November 2024, focusing on their performance at the national and state levels.

“This initiative is not just about assessing political parties but also about creating a space for citizens to engage meaningfully in the political process and ensure that their voices are heard,” Ifendu, said.