The former vice president describes the merger as
a positive step.
A former vice president and member of the New
Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, Atiku Abubakar,
has described the news of the merger of the
splinter group of the ruling party and the
opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, as “a
positive step in both direction.”
The APC and nPDP announced their decision to
merge after a three hour meeting at the Kano
State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja on
Tuesday morning.
The National Chairman of the nPDP, Kawu Baraje,
who read the communiqué of the meeting, which
he jointly signed with the APC National Chairman,
Bisi Akande, said, “After exhaustive deliberations,
the two parties agreed to merge in order to
rescue our fledgling democracy and the nation.”
In a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu,
Atiku said he believed in true democracy based on
freedom of association as guaranteed in the
Nigerian Constitution.
“I also long for a day where we celebrate a multi-
party system where political parties make
improving the lives of Nigerians their top priority,
instead of our current politics of corrupt cronyism
and personal destruction. Today’s news is a
positive step in both directions,” the former Vice-
President said.
Atiku, had joined five governors of the PDP, to
walk out of the party’s Special National
Convention held at Eagle Square, Abuja,
on August 31.
The governors were Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sule
Lamido (Jigawa), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara),
Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto) and Musa Kwankwaso
(Kano).
They were joined by Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers)
and Murtala Nyako (both were not at the
convention) and some members of the National
Assembly at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, also in
Abuja, where they addressed a press conference
announcing the birth of the nPDP.
The faction named a former acting National
Chairman of the PDP, Kawu Baraje; a former
Deputy National of the party, Sam Jaja; and its
embattled National Secretary, Olagunsoye Oyinlola
as the National Chairman, Deputy National
Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
Although, he is believed to be a member of the
splinter group, Atiku did not play a prominent role
in its activities since that time. He did not attend
any of the meetings between governors of the
group and President Goodluck Jonathan. He was
also not at the meeting the PDP Elders, led by
former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim
Babangida, held with the faction in Abuja; thus,
inducing suspicion at the time that he had been
sidelined.