Buhari Would Not Have Talks With Aggrieved NPDP Leaders

Report has confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari would not be granting audience to the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) memebers, who are threatening to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The  defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) memebers had threatened to quit the party, giving maginalization has the reason behind their intention.

The nPDP is one of the blocks that formed the APC in 2014 – the main groups being Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP).

the nPDP wrote a letter to the APC leadership on the 9th of May, demanding a meeting within seven days, to address its grievances.

The letter which was signed by Alhaji Kawu Baraje as the group’s leader, alleged that their member were been harrassed by the federal government.

However, another group of ex-PDP members in the APC led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu and House of Representatives member Abdumumin Jibrin in another letter, accused the Baraje group of insincerity and not representing the group.

Those with divided loyalty, the President’s supporters believe, should be weeded out of the NWC.

A source according to The Nation, said: “Some of our governors and leaders of APC have been holding series of meetings on how to make APC stronger with a new set of leaders who can complement the administration of the President.

“These leaders, who are strategists of the President, are also working round the clock to reshape APC for the electoral battle ahead in 2019. We do not want to run a divided party in view of the gang-up by some leaders.

“These marathon meetings in Abuja border on the need to be on the same page with like-mind governors and party leaders; putting in place harmonised or unity list; and laying a fresh foundation for the unity of the party.”

The source added: “I might not give you their names but horse-trading is going on among governors and party leaders.

“It involves weighing options on candidates, a give-and-take negotiation and putting 2019 poll above any other interest.

“There are eight positions the presidential strategists cannot joke with. They are the National Chairman, National Secretary, Deputy National Chairman (North); Deputy National Chairman (South); National Organising Secretary, National Publicity Secretary; National Women Leader and National Youth Leader.

“Of course, the nPDP factor has been dominating all discussions and the governors and party leaders have left options open.”

As at press time, it was not clear if leaders of nPDP will attend the National Convention of APC or boycott the event.

A party source said: “We do not know what the nPDP leaders are up to but we are preparing for the worse, including their likely defection from APC.

“Some of these leaders are no longer committed to APC.

We are aware that they are already negotiating with some parties.

“We are hopeful however that the statutory and elected delegates among the nPDP leaders will be at the convention.”

A source in nPDP said: “We are waiting for our leaders to give us direction on whether or not to attend the National Convention. As at Monday, the presidency and APC leadership have not addressed all our grievances.

“Instead, what we have experienced is the inclusion of some factional leaders of APC in some states in the National Convention Committee (NCC) which we considered insulting.

“Take the case of Kwara State where the chairman of nPDP, Alh. Kawu Baraje, comes from, it is pathetic. Some leaders of an illegal faction of APC in his state have been made members of the NCC.

“Some of us prefer a total boycott of the convention by nPDP, but it is left to our leaders to tell us the direction we are going on Saturday.”

The issues in the party include the following:

to retain the zoning formula or not;
should there be a total overhaul of the NWC, led by the outgoing National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun?
won’t it help party cohesion to have a mixed grill of Oyegun team and new NWC members?
how to accommodate the nPDP Caucus to stave off defection;
need to have an NWC which can make Buhari’s re-election possible
suitable and acceptable candidates for eight key positions; and
averting a plot to disqualify some key contestants.