Govs, N’Assembly APC, PDP Members Set to Join ADP
Some governors and members of the National Assembly on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), who have been edged out by the leadership of the party at the just concluded ward congresses are set to defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), THISDAY has learnt.
Also set to defect along with them are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the National Assembly who believe that ADC can be used as an alternative party to unify defectors from the two leading political parties.
A former governorship aspirant on the platform of the PDP who confided in our correspondent said negotiations between the ADC, the leadership of the breakaway new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) and the PDP are at a final stage.
He also said that the announcement of the outcome of the negotiation is expected within the next few weeks.
The source said that the reason why the PDP would collapse into the ADC was because of the ignominy Nigerians associated with the PDP and that the process of registering a new party might take a long time.
He also hinted that most dissatisfied members of the ruling APC in the country were expected to be part of the new party.
“Just wait. The APC is set to implode. After that, we will unveil our plan. APC will die after its national congress, I
assure you. We are waiting for the party to conclude its congress. There will be nobody left when we make our move.”
He also said that some sitting governors of the APC are also part of the move to join the ADC.
Many members of the APC were edged out during the ward, council and state congresses of the party.
Those sidelined are already considering their options including moving to another party to enable them to actualise their ambition of seeking elective offices.
A couple of weeks ago the group founded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Coalition for Nigerian Movement, (CNM), announced that it had adopted the African Democratic Congress, (ADC).
While announcing the decision in Abeokuta former President Olusegun Obasanjo said that since the inception of the CNM many of the existing 68 registered political parties were contacted and consulted on the need to come together.
However, he said the leadership of the CNM after careful, detailed and wide examination, bearing in mind its orientation, policies and direction agreed to adopt ADC as a platform to work with other like-minded parties to bring about desirable changes in the Nigerian polity and governance.
He said the emergence of the ADC was the beginning of a hard work geared towards the continuity to consolidate democracy and to make development on all its ramifications real, relevant, accessible, popular and in reaching out to all Nigerians regardless of their ethnic nationalities and religions.
He said: "a positive anger coordinated and directed to put an end to the era of impotence and for every Nigerian to join hands to seek an effective solution through the coalition, cooperation and togetherness that will take Nigeria to where God has created it to be is our concern.
"With the emergence of the ADC as a political party for the movement and its associated and in line with my clear position which I have often repeated, the first phase of my job is done and I will not be a member of the party but as I have always done since I quit partisan-politics in 2014, I will keep alive and be active on Nigerian and African issues and interests and I will be open to offering advice to any individual or organisation for the unity, development and professional of Nigeria and indeed, Africa."
He, however, warned that no former political party, movement, social or cultural, township unions and social organisations should claim sole ownership of the renewed party, ADC.
"I will advise others to join this political party in order to usher in a new dawn for Nigerians but I may not be able to advise anybody to join PDP or APC no matter what window-dressing reformation they may claim.
"PDP offered an apology without disciplining those who set Nigeria on a course of ruin and some of them are still holding leadership toes in their party. Nigerians may forgive, but Nigerians should never forget; otherwise, they will be suffering from amnesia and the same ugliness may raise its head again.
"APC as a political party is still gloating and revelling in its unrepentant misgovernance of Nigeria and taking Nigerians for fools. There is neither remorse nor appreciation of what they are doing wrong. It is all arrant arrogance and insult upon injury for Nigerians. Whatever the leadership may personally claim, most Nigerians know that they, Nigerians, are poorer today than when APC came in and Nigeria is more impoverished with our foreign loan jumping from $3.6 billion to over $18 billion to be paid by the present and future generations of Nigerians.
"The country is more divided than ever before because the leadership is playing the ethnic and religious game which is very unfortunate. And the country is more insecure and unsafe for everybody. It is a political party with two classes of membership", said Obasanjo.
Co-Convener of CNM, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola who also spoke in Abuja on the same day the decision to join ADC said: “The decision to move into African Democratic Congress, therefore, is an appreciation of the progressive essence of the party and its untainted existence on the terrain of our nation’s politics.
“While I on behalf of the leadership and the over three million members of the CNM congratulate ADC as the vehicle for national reinvention, I urge us to let us know that the task ahead is an arduous one that needs further strengthening of the forces of change.
"What I am saying is that we should be open to new engagements and alliances being forged and crystallizing across the country.”
Oyinlola said the movement was committed to the use of the tools of democracy to recreate a Nigeria that would truly serve all, irrespective of religion, tribe or socio -economic status.
According to him, the Coalition for Nigerian Movement has ceased to exist, having formally collapsed into the political party.