Obasanjo makes U-turn as Third Force fuses into ADC

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday announced his Coalition for Nigerian Movement is adopting the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

He said it is in the bid to form a formidable force to wrestle power from the All Progressive Congress in 2019.

Obasanjo told a news conference in Abeokuta that he believes Nigeria will be rescued, and that next year’s election will be used to cure the curse and afflictions of failed leadership and perpetual underdevelopment.

It would be recalled that Obasanjo proposed the third force movement as a non-partisan movement to “redeem” Nigeria from the “lice of poor performance” of the current administration, saying he will resign his membership of CNM once it is involved in partisan politics. But Olagunsoye Oyinlola, co-convener of the movement and a former governor of Osun State, announced the fusion of the CNM into the ADC at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday after dumping the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Oyinlola said Nigerians should expect more from the movement, describing the fusion as “the first in a multi-layered action plan to give back the country to its much deprived people.” He further said, “Between that time and today, a lot of grounds have been covered in achieving the set goals. One of such is what we are doing here today; the formal fusing of our movement into the African Democratic Congress and we stated in January during the launch of the CNM. We are taking on this task not minding the inconveniences and other expected and unexpected consequences of our efforts at reinventing the country.”

Speaking on behalf of the leadership and the over three million members of the CNM, Oyinlola noted that the ADC should be seen as the vehicle for national reinvention. ‘’I urge us to let us know that the task ahead is an arduous one that needs further strengthening of the forces of change,” he stated. Oyinlola added that the ADC is well placed to make democracy work for Nigerians and that it is “properly placed to join other patriots in moving Nigerians to join hands to make our country truly great.”

“As the CNM takes this momentous step of coalescing into ADC as a vital step in building a national consensus to reconstruct the country, we assure all Nigerians with their support and the understanding of like-minded persons and organisations across the country, Nigeria will be rescued,” he added.