Strong indications emerged that Senate
President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker House of
Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and some
aggrieved members of the Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP, have started talks aimed at launching
a new political party ahead of the 2019 polls.
An
insider, who was privy to a secret meeting held
on the proposed new national party, said all the
emerging camps within All Progressives Congress,
APC, and the main opposition PDP would at the
end of the day come together and form a political
party latest next year to prepare well to face
elections. Our correspondent learnt authoritatively
that Saraki and some lawmakers, including
senators and House of Representatives members,
and a governor from North West, who are
opposed to President Muhammadu Buhari and APC
National Leader, Bola Tinubu, especially during the
National Assembly election of principal officers,
may not secure their second term tickets on the
APC platforms due to their disloyalty.
It was further learnt that the battered image of
the PDP, occasioned by the gale of corruption
allegation and the emergence of Ali Modu Sherriff
as national chairman of the party have combined
to frustrate some members of the opposition
party. The contention is that both the APC and
PDP may be difficult to sell to Nigerians come
2019, hence the need to form an ideological party.
A source said: “We have started a real Nigerian
party, which will drive the dream of our nation’s
founding fathers. At the moment, APC and PDP
may not sell to the electorate in 2019 based on
indices on ground. “The economy is number one;
we thought APC has solutions to Nigeria’s myriad
of problems after PDP destroyed the system but it
is clear to us that, APC has none.
“We are
thinking of an ideological based party that will
shape this country for the future. Political
alliances are ongoing for a new brand political
party. I can tell you between now and next year,
2017, we will give Nigerians their own party.
The nation was helpless and even more helpless
now. “Many PDP and APC chieftains will join us,
activists will join us, professionals will join us.
Market women, in fact all will join us. You will be
shocked of what will happen. APC may end up
being a one term party at the national level.
“What happened during Speaker Aminu Tambuwal
will still happen ahead of 2019 polls. APC is
fighting Senate President Bukola Saraki and
Speaker Yakubu Dogara for going against their
wish. They will be left with no option than to join
the proposed new party. We are in touch with
them and persuading them on the need to forget
APC.” It would be recalled that PDP is on the
verge of implosion following the emergence of
Modu Sheriff as national chairman. A group within
the party, which called itself PDP Rescue Group,
made up of former Senate President, Adolphus
Wabara, and Ambassador Wilberforce Juta, had
called for the resignation of Modu Sheriff. Other
members of the Rescue Group included former
deputy governor of Sokoto State who also
doubles as the Secretary of the group, Mukhtar
Shagari, John Odey, a former publicity secretary
of the party as well as a former minister and Hon.
Muyiwa Oladimeji, amongst others.
Also, a founding member of the party and
immediate past Nigeria’s High Commissioner to
the United Kingdom, Dr. Dalhatu Sarki Tafida,
announced his exit from the party. Dr. Tafida who
held several positions both under Presidents
Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, made
this known during a special BBC Hausa interview.
Speaking in the course of the interview, Tafida
said: “I have decided to leave PDP…” Citing his
reasons for leaving, he said: “I left because there
is no focus; if a market is over, a responsible man
should go home. Now the market is over. “It was
good in the past, but now it is the worst, with
impunity and confusion. “The party has been
destroyed and reduced to nothing, and I have
decided to dump the party.” Apart from that, a
former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, also had
announced his resignation from the party. In a
letter entitled: “PDP, the Burden and My
Conscience”, Nnamani said he took the decision
after all efforts to refocus and rebuild the party
had proved abortive, blaming some elements in
the opposition party for its dwindling fortune.
National Mirror
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