Nigerians have a critical duty to ensure the country is salvaged from its current “reckless, senseless, visionless journey”, Attahiru Jega, former chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission Chairman, said on Wednesday.

“As the country prepares for the 2023 general elections, Nigerian citizens generally and the working class, in particular, can either continue to play the Ostrich on the current trajectory or reckless, senseless, visionless journey towards democratic and social-economic development and allow the country free fall into imminent self-destruction which is clearly in sight,” Mr Jega charged, saying “or they have to wake up, rise and join hands in solidarity for struggles and active engagement in the political process towards national emancipation, from what I call the devilish alliance of exploiters, both internal and external.”

Speaking at the Workers’ Political Conference 2022 organised by the Nigerian Labour Congress in Abuja, Mr Jega lamented heightened economic hardship and insecurity in the country, saying “Nigeria is crying for a rescue mission before it is too late.”

He further said, “the sorry states of this circular economy conditions under which Nigerian working people and indeed the overwhelming majority of Nigerian citizens live and work, the reckless misrule and misgovernance by a tiny rabid, reckless band of elite and collaborators, and the manner by which these may have picked so-called elected, so-called leaders and their collaborators, have devastated the Nigerian economy, heightened insecurity and virtually destroyed the basis for national cohesion and integration.”

A registered member of Peoples Redemption Party, Mr Jega recently ramped up his criticism of the ruling class, casting constant jibes at the ruling All Progressives Congress and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party for leading Nigeria astray.