At least four of the seven opposition parties that met last week in Abuja to explore the possibility of a merger against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in subsequent elections, have backed out of the project.
The parties that have dissociated themselves from the move included the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and a faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
It would be recalled that the presidential candidate of the PDP in the February 25 poll, Alhaji Atiku Abubkar suggested the idea of the merger to scuttle the perceived attempt by the APC to foist a one-party state on the country.
Some leaders of the opposition parties bought into the idea, culminating into an inaugural meeting by seven parties under the platform of Concerned Political Parties (CPP) meeting where they promised to resist any plot to turn Nigeria into a one-party state
The meeting was held at the national secretariat of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Wuse, Abuja
The parties that attended the meeting included: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the NNPP, SDP, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Speaking on Sunday in Abuja, the NNPP faction denied reports that the party had formed a coalition with other parties, including the PDP and the SDP.
The denial was contained in a letter by the Dr Agbo Major-led faction of the NNPP to the Board of Trustees Chairman of NNPP.
In letter, a copy of which was obtained on Sunday by the Nigerian Tribune, the national secretary of the faction party, Olaposi Oginni, insisted that the party had not authorised any coalition with any other party, urging the public to disregard any perceived involvement of the NNPP project.
Oginni stated that he had the instruction of the founder and life member of the BoT of the NNPP, Dr Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam; Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the NNPP, Dr Temitope Aluko; the secretary of the Board of Trustees of the party, Abdullahi Babayo and national chairman, Dr Agbo Gilbert Major to warn the PDP not to engage people that do not represent the interest of the NNPP, especially its presidential candidate in the last general election, Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso and his supporters.
“This letter therefore serves as a formal caveat to your party (PDP) and others by notifying you that the NNPP has not and is not authorising any coalition with your party or any other political party for that matter as is being speculated and published.”
“In the circumstance, to do otherwise and proceed with the purported coalition in any matter with Sen. Kwankwaso in the name of the NNPP, will be serious hypocrisy on your part and feigning ignorance of a glaring and well established fact that Senator Kwankwaso is not a member of the NNPP, and he has no locus or authority to engage in any form of negotiation and/or coalition on behalf of our great party, NNPP,” it reads.
“The relevant regulatory agency, security agency of the Federal Government and the general public will be notified immediately to ensure that your party and Senator Kwankwaso do not cause any further damage to our party, and to prevent any avoidable breakdown of law and order, besides needless litigation.
“We strongly request that you avoid our terrain and mind your business pease, to ensure a peaceful and cordial co-existence of inter party relationship. Kindly take note that NNPP is not for sale,” the letter read in part.
The national chairman of the SDP, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, who addressed the gathering said the coalition had been meeting on the general situation in the country prior to last weeks gathering.
On his part, the Acting national secretary of the PDP, Setinji Koshoedo, who represented the party’s national chairman, Umar Damagum, said the coalition is to offer strong opposition to the APC.
According to him, “This coalition wants to offer strong opposition for the good of Nigeria. Our duty is to offer alternative solutions to government policies.
“The government has not shown strategic moves to solve Nigeria’s problems. I think this government should review its policies.”
Similarly, the national chairman of the ADC, Chief Ralph Okey- Nwosu, said the idea behind the meeting was to strengthen our democracy.
“We have seen that people in government are trying to stiffle viable opposition. Therefore, we are crying out; what is happening in states like Kano, Plateau and others is an indication that the government wants a one-party state. One political party state is not healthy for our country; let’s save our democracy.”
Also speaking, the acting national chairman of the NNPP, Abba Kawu Ali said they still believed in the judiciary and the power of the Supreme Court to correct the wrongs.
“There is no way millions of people will go out and vote for the person they want only for a few people to be in a room and decide otherwise. This is not healthy. But we believe in the judiciary that the wrong of the past will be corrected.
“We were cheated in 2019 and 2023; we are still faced with a similar challenge. The judiciary must be seen to be the last hope of the common man,” he said.
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