Third Force: A gathering of retired and aggrieved politicians from APC and PDP?

Some prominent Nigerians, led by the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, have formed a new political alliance that would rescue power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023. The new alliance will be under the umbrella of The National Movement (TNM).

The political alliance, which is regarded as the Third Force, was launched in Abuja on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.

Members of the group argue that the APC and the PDP have nothing to offer Nigeria and that there is a need to save the country from the two dominant political parties in 2023.

They have vowed to mobilise across the country and rescue power from the traditional political parties during the 2023 general election.

In my opinion, the third force led by Kwankwaso is a gathering of retired political leaders and those who have lost out in power sharing in the two dominant parties.

For instance, Rabiu Kwankwaso served as a minister and the governor of Kano State twice under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party. He also contested the party’s presidential primary election in 2019 but lost the election.

Kwankwaso was once a senator representing Kano State under the platform of the All Progressives Congress.

It is obvious that Kwankwaso is part and parcel of the APC and PDP. The former governor decided to dump the parties now because the power sharing is not in his favour.

Another prominent member of the Third Force movement is Solomon Dalong. Dalong is the immediate past sports minister and a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress. President Muhammadu Buhari dropped him as sports minister after his reelection in 2019. This may be the reason why the former minister is angry with the ruling party.

Buba Galadima was also a member of the Peoples Democratic Party. Many prominent members of the party were once PDP or APC members.

A third force that would rescue power from the traditional political parties should be neutral and not comprised of aggrieved members of the existing parties. I hope a new political party independent of the APC and PDP can be formed before the 2023 general election.