A Report on the Paper Delivered by Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, President, Peoples Movement for a New Nigeria (PMNN)
On Wednesday, May 14, 2025, the Chelsea Hotel in Abuja played host to a defining moment in Nigeria’s political reawakening. At the invitation of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), thought leaders, party officials, civil society stakeholders, and diaspora advocates convened for a political summit themed: “Using 2027 General Elections to Drive National Transformation.”
One of the most impactful presentations came from Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, President of the Peoples Movement for a New Nigeria (PMNN), whose keynote paper: “The Way Forward for Nigeria – African Democracy Coalition” — painted a sobering yet inspirational roadmap for Nigeria’s democratic rebirth.
A Nation at the Crossroads: Credibility and the 2027 Question
Alhaji Ndu began with a reality check: the 2027 general elections may not be the magic wand many Nigerians are hoping for. He highlighted the widespread disillusionment with Nigeria’s three core democratic institutions — the Presidency, the National Assembly, and the Judiciary — and questioned the likelihood of any credible electoral process given their current performance.
“It is dangerous to predicate Nigeria’s future solely on 2027 elections,” Ndu said. “It’s like surrendering hope itself.”
Instead, he called for a preemptive civic awakening — a deliberate effort to sensitize and mobilize Nigerians across the country to lay the foundation for transparent, responsive, and responsible governance before the next elections.In essence, governance reform must precede electoral reform.
Rebuilding Trust: The Political Class Must Redeem Itself
The PMNN leader did not mince words in addressing the crisis of trust between citizens and political parties. In the face of rising poverty, insecurity, and economic despair, he noted, Nigerians perceive most political leaders as “swimming in opulence while the people protest and starve.”
He reminded the audience of the now-infamous comment by a Senate President who boasted that the people could protest all they want while lawmakers “chop.”
To win back the people, Ndu asserted, political actors must provide practical, visible solutions, starting with insecurity the very core of government’s constitutional duty.
A National Security Mandate: Call for a People’s Peace and Security Summit
In one of the day’s most concrete policy proposals, Alhaji Ndu, on behalf of the Institute for African Renaissance Studies and Actualization (IARSA) and the Nigerian Diaspora Coalition for Change (NDCfC), invited the ADC to co-host a Nigerian People’s Peace and Security Summit.
Designed as a mass participatory, non-partisan initiative, the summit will aim to convene Nigerians from local communities and the global diaspora to crowdsource ideas and solutions for ending insecurity across the nation.
The ADC’s key role, according to Ndu, would be to coordinate participation of all political parties to ensure the summit transcends partisanship and becomes a national consensus-building platform.
Redefining Democracy: Citizens Must Be at the Center
Reinforcing the argument for inclusive governance, Alhaji Ndu cited Jean-Jacques Rousseau: “Only through the direct and continuous participation of all citizens in political life can the state be bound to the common good or general will.” To this end, he criticized the current party-defection culture, which he said is weakening public confidence in political institutions. In a democracy where politicians change parties like clothing regardless of ideology or election results the people, he warned, become disillusioned and disengaged. His message was clear: Nigeria must reinvent participatory democracy one rooted not in party slogans but in continuous civic engagement and accountability.
The Misunderstood “Shadow Government”: A Tool for National Renewal
Alhaji Ndu used the opportunity to clarify the controversial concept of a “Shadow Government”, which recently resurfaced in Nigerian political discourse. Tracing its modern history, he claimed to have introduced the idea in 2007, while serving as National Chairman of the defunct African Renaissance Party (ARP), during Prof. Pat Utomi’s presidential campaign under the ADC. The concept was even discussed at the Lagos Business School, with participation from national icons including Prof. Wole Soyinka, then Chairman of ARP’s Board of Trustees.
But while recent shadow government efforts — such as those by PDP in Abia State and Prof. Utomi’s “Big Tent” — have been met with hostility, Ndu offered a uniquely Nigerian version of the idea.
A New Model of Shadow Governance: Harnessing Diaspora and Domestic Expertise
Ndu’s proposition is not about partisan opposition. Rather, he envisions a technocratic, advisory structure, where for every government ministry or agency, a corresponding body of professionals from Nigeria and the diasporaregularly brainstorms and offers alternative policy solutions for national development.
“This isn’t about who’s in power,” he said. “It’s about leveraging our best minds millions of Nigerians in medicine, engineering, education, and other fields — to shape a smarter government.” He emphasized that this model would democratize policymaking, introduce global best practices, and strengthen national capacity, free from party rivalry.
As Nigeria inches closer to 2027, voices like Alhaji Yahaya Ndu’s remind us that transformation begins not on election day, but every day before it in ideas, values, and inclusive action.
African Heritage Magazine – Political Editorial Desk
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