NOBEL Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, will soon float a new political party. Named the Democratic Front for Peoples Federation (DFPF), the party is expected to be a platform for pro-democracy and human rights activists who want to run for political offices in 2007.

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Mr. Femi Falana, a Lagos lawyer and activist who is handling the brief of the party, confirmed to Daily Champion Wednesday that they have collected and completed the registration forms from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr. Falana, who refused to name others, besides Soyinka, who are behind the new party, said that DFPF has met all the conditions for registration by INEC and would certainly be registered soon.

A source in INEC confirmed to Daily Champion that Mr. Falana came to collect the forms on behalf of Prof. Soyinka, pointing out that the commission was scrutinising and processing the papers and would soon make its position on the prospective party known.

If registered the NFPF will be the 34th political party, following the recent registration of three other parties.

Prof. Soyinka is the convener of Citizens Forum (CF) and a major force behind the efforts to convene a Peoples National Conference using the platform of the pro-National Conference Organisations (PRONACO).

A member of the upcoming party who is also a close associate of Prof. Soyinka, on condition of anonymity, told Daily Champion that if President Olusegun Obasanjo runs for a third term in office as is being widely speculated, the Nobel Laureate would challenge him for the nation’s top post on the platform of the party.

If, on the other hand, Obasanjo does not run, he said that Soyinka would support a southern or northern minority or a credible female candidate especially younger elements.

He said that the party, which will have as one of its major objectives, the restructuring of Nigeria was conceived in 2002 and that they approached INEC then but were refused registration on the ground that they were late in seeking registration.

He said they wanted to prove the point to President Obasanjo that he is not the only credible or competent person to run the country, pointing out that the massive mobilisation efforts of members of the party was paying off as people were already flocking to the platform that was being erected for all progressive activists and politicians nationwide.

According to him, Prof. Soyinka’s impeccable credentials and integrity was the major attraction for the politicians and activists who are daily identifying with the party, stressing that they have members even in Europe and America.

He said that Soyinka, the founder and chairman of the party, was actually interested only in leading the progressive party to take over power from the traditional ruling class, but insisted that if Obasanjo declares his intention to run again, he will have Soyinka to contend with.

On whether the debate over power shift to the South East, South South or the North would not affect the chances of Soyinka candidacy, our source, who is a major force in the pro-democracy movement in the country said that the party today, has more northerners than southerners, especially the younger elements, who are successful in their businesses and professions as members, pointing that what is important to people is progressive and credible leadership and the hope for good governance.

He also said that the South East and South South people know that Soyinka is biased towards them and would ordinarily want somebody from any of these zones to contest the presidency. He pointed out that only the necessity to match an Obasanjo candidacy with a name that commands equal or more respect domestically and internationally would lure the internationally acclaimed writer and activists into the race.

He said that some other political groups and existing parties may fuse with the emerging "formidable political movement," the source said that funding would not be a problem for the party as the politicians and activists who are joining up would come with their resources.

On the fear that the military may easily sack such a government that is not headed by a retired general, the activist said that peoples power would sweep the DFPF into power and would also check any military adventurists, since they cannot contend with a mass movement.