The 2022 Committee, which is an association of businessmen, political figures and others, has stressed the need for Nigeria to produce quality leaders in next year’s elections.
The committee, which comprises business tycoons like Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, Fola Adeola, Jim Ovia, Abdulsamad Rabiu and several others, said in a statement that it was not in support of any particular candidate.
A Co-convener of the committee, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Wednesday, said the group was not partisan, but assembled 100 presidential materials.
In a statement jointly signed by Imam and another co-convener, Nduka Obaigbena, who is ThisDay Newspapers Publisher, the committee stated that it was interested in quality leadership that would emerge in 2023.
According to the statement, the leaders met from February 4 to 6, 2022. It, however, did not reveal the names of the 100 leaders who met in Lagos but The PUNCH gathered that top chieftains from both the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party attended the event.
In the interview on Channels Television on Wednesday evening, Ibrahim-Imam said it was encouraging to see business tycoons participating in the event for three straight days.
He noted that the 100 people that were part of the committee were all presidential materials.
Ibrahim-Imam said others who attended the three-day event include: Governor Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Governor Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Governor Ben Ayade (Cross River), Governor Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Governor Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Governor Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and several others.
The committee chairman said he was hopeful that all those who participated in the deliberations would implement the resolutions reached.
He added, “We hope that whoever emerges (as President) will abide by the template that was put together. We are also concerned about the quality of leadership. Leadership is not restricted to who becomes President. The National Assembly, the judiciary are also important institutions.
“What is equally important is that somebody like Aliko Dangote, Abdulsamad Rabiu, Jim Ovia, Herbert Wigwe, Atedo Peterside, Udo Udoma, Fola Adeola, Femi Otedola, I can go on and on that men of this calibre will leave everything that they are doing and lock themselves up in a hotel for three days is in itself encouraging.”
On whether the resolutions reached could solve Nigeria’s problems, Ibrahim-Imam stated, “We assembled 100 presidential materials any of whom can serve as President of Nigeria. All of whom have distinguished themselves in their various fields. If those who are gathered in that room cannot solve our problem, then we are in trouble.”
There had been speculation that the committee was working in the interest of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, to be the next President of the country.
However, the committee dismissed such speculations, insisting that some of its members were also presidential aspirants
In the statement signed by Ibrahim-Imam and Obaigbena, the group stated, “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.
“All the 100 leading lights of the 2022 Committee have the capacity for national leadership; indeed, amongst the very active participants in the work of the Committee are over seven persons, from three or more political parties, who have already publicly declared their aspiration to lead the country but are 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.”
The committee said it believes that what Nigeria needed today was for all patriots to come together to rescue the nation from all political, economic and security threats, and promote the unity of the country.
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.”
Some of those in attendance that our correspondents could confirm included a former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Senate President and Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Anyim Pius Anyim, who is also a PDP presidential aspirant; ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki, also a PDP presidential aspirant; former Governor of Imo State; Ikedi Ohakim, former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Donald Duke and former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
A member of the committee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further explained reasons for the formation of the group.
He stated, “Nigeria is in crisis, we are ready to rescue Nigeria. We cannot all sit down and be burning every day. There is security, economic issues and transition – how to get free and fair election. We have to come together to rescue the country.
“If you sit back, insecurity catches somebody in Zamfara State, it could be you tomorrow. So, it is in order to stabilize the system towards transition and to ensure we get quality leaders in 2023. That’s our mandate really.”
He added that the committee consisted of members of leading political parties, adding that it would not transform into a party.
He stated, “We are not a political party, we have leading figures in the PDP, the APC and APGA, we have the three key parties represented. We are 100 wise men.
“It is not a Third Force, we are not fighting anybody; we are just there to assist a process, it is a national movement to assist a process and political parties.”
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