As part of efforts to achieve a new consensus for national rebirth, eminent Nigerian leaders on the auspices of ‘The 2022 Committee’, which comprises prominent business, political, civil society, and thought leaders, have met in Lagos.
This was made known in a statement released in Abuja yesterday, and co-signed on behalf of the conveners by the convener and chairman of ThisDay/Arise Media Group, Nduka Obaigbena, and a former presidential liaison officer to the Senate and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam.
The non-partisan retreat was held between last Friday and Sunday and was attended by various members of The 2022 Committee, which included 14 current governors, 13 former governors and three former Senate Presidents.
In the statement released yesterday, Obaigbena and Ibrahim-Imam said the leaders worked in three sub-committees of national security, the economy and Nigeria in transition, noting that the participants recognised that there is an urgent need to seek common ground and irreducible minimum actions to stabilise the polity at this critical time of transition.
The statement, titled: Eminent Business, Political, Society and Thought Leaders Meet in Lagos to Build Consensus for National Rebirth, which comes amid speculations that the group had met to strategise for the aspiration of a certain South-South presidential hopeful, said the leaders will continue to work with relevant stakeholders for the good of the country.
The statement said, Working in three Sub-Committees of National Security, The Economy, and Nigeria in Transition, the participants recognised that there is an urgent need to seek common ground and irreducible minimum actions to stabilise the polity at this critical time of transition.
The statement, coming on the heels of unfounded narratives on the purpose of the meeting said, Whilst The 2022 Committee is interested in the quality of leadership that will emerge in Nigeria at all levels, we consider attempts to link the Committee with candidates or political parties for the 2023 elections as an unwarranted and unnecessary distraction candidates are only chosen by political parties and we are not a political party.
The group said The 2022 Committee was only interested in the quality of leadership that will emerge in Nigeria at all levels.
It also warned against attempts to link the group with candidates or political parties for the 2023 elections, adding that all the 100 leading lights of the 2022 Committee have the capacity for national leadership.
It said amongst the active participants in the work of the Committee were over seven persons, from three or more political parties, who had already publicly declared their aspirations to lead the country but were desirous of working with other patriots for non-partisan greater national goals.
We must have a secure, peaceful and united nation before we can have candidates for political offices, it added.
The statement further said that The 2022 Committee believes that what Nigeria needs today is for all patriots to come together to rescue our nation from all political, economic and security threats, and promote the unity of Nigeria.
It said the meetings will continue, as we work with Federal and State Governments, current and future political leaders of all political persuasions, as well as other eminent patriotic citizens, for the greater good of the Nigerian people.
It, therefore, called on all patriotic volunteers, who are willing and able, to join this collective effort to stabilise the system so that a new Nigeria, that all can be proud of, could be built.
It also called on patriotic volunteers to join the collective effort to stabilise the system in order to build a new Nigeria.
