2023 Elections: Seven Political Parties Merge To Become ‘3rd Force’ Mega Party

A file photo of ballot boxes during the 2015 general elections.

In a bid to put up a stronger fight against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and frontline opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seven political parties have joined forces ahead of the upcoming 2023 general elections.

According a communique on Monday, the coalition said it took 15 months of deliberations and agreements, for the Allied Political Parties and the National Consultative Front, comprising of 6 parties, to decide to join forces with the Labour Party to present a joint Presidential Candidate for the 2023 polls.

Spokesperson for the National Consultative Front (NCFront), Ms Bello Bilikis, revealed that the formal endorsement of the Labour Party by the ‘3rd Force’ Movement arose from recent meetings and activities of separate political commissions of the NLC and the TUC with their allies like the Femi Falana-led The Political Alternative Movement (TPAM) and the Civil Society, towards repositioning the Labour Party as an “alternative platform for rescuing Nigeria ahead of the 2023 general elections.”

According to Ms Bilikis, the parties in the coalition are New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Labour Party (LP) and National Rescue Movement (NRM).

The spokesperson further stated that Prof Attahiru Jega of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Professor Pat Utomi of the Labour Party and Senator Saidu Dansadau of the National Rescue Movement, are also onboard with the arrangement and have been instructed to build a Mega Electoral Alliance and also adopt of a single line of candidates among the seven allied parties involved in the ‘3rd Force’ alliance talks for the 2023 elections.

“With the novel synergy between the Labour Party and the NCFront, the convening platform of the 3rd Force Movement, which is also today the largest political mass movement in the country, Nigerians can be rest assured that the glorious future we all desire for our dear country, is now achievable by 2023, especially with the brewing implosion hovering over the ruling cartel of APC and PDP, which will soon burst into unpreventable disintegration after their party primaries,” the communique partly read.

“To this end, an inclusive Consensus Technical Committee to screen presidential candidates and other candidates of ‘3rd Force’ allied Parties towards the adoption of a single line of candidates across all 2023 elections, is expected to be set up next month after the conclusion of all party primaries.”

Furthermore, Ms Bilikis noted in the brief that the ‘3rd Force’ Mega Electoral Pact for the 2023 elections is proposed around agreement on Labour Charter of Demand, EndSARS Youths’ Demands and Constitutional Referendum for Nigeria, among others to be agreed as terms of the Alliance for the 2023 elections.

According to her, the ‘3rd Force’ Coalition Leaders and Parties are expected to jointly address the nation sometime this week in a bid to announce the new agenda to save Nigeria from imminent collapse and anarchy foisted by the ruling parties in Nigeria.