Steve Ovirih.
As the national convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress( APC) holds on Saturday, the alleged defection plan of
members of nPDP , a block within the ruling party , appears to have hit the wall.
The nPDP ,which has accused APC of margin sliding them has given ultimatum to the National working Committee of the party, as well as demanding to meet the party Executive.
nPDP comprises Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, Sokoto state Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Senators Rabiu kwankwanso, Abdulaziz Nyako and others.
The aggrieved block claimed that their desire to exit APC is based on their genuine concern that they are marginalised, harassed and witch hunted by the leadership of the party which formation also had no small input from their group.
Among the plans nPDP says it has up its sleeve is to open talks with PDP, SDP and African Democratic Congress (ADC) with a view to picking which one to merge with.
Senator Nyako maintained that as far as the group is concerned , there is no going back on their resolve to leave the party.
However, leaders of the group, it was learnt, are under severe pressure from their supporters to let them know their next line of action, having suspended peace talks with the APC.
Members of the group are unable to reach an agreement on how to pursue their resolve either to exit the party or stay put, and this evasiveness is causing confusion among their followers .
The handling of their grouse by the party’s executive , according to them, is a clear indication that APC may not factor their grouse in their consideration. The nPDP had recently halted a talk with the Presidency , claiming that arrowhead of the group had continued to suffer persecution from the Buhari lead administration. They claimed that the complaints arising from the conduct of the Congresses of the party in Bauchi, Adamawa and Kano had not been properly handled by the NWC of the party, stressing that APC does not care a hoot about the plight of the nPDP group.
Some followers of the nPDP group are also surprised that their leadership is foot dragging on their resolve to quit the party even when it has become glaring that APC has shown obvious nonchalance towards their complaints. While the APC is preparing seriously for its forthcoming convention , no attempt is made to look at the grievances of the nPDP.
Meanwhile, contrary to its touted threat to leave the party, indication is rife that leading stakeholders of the nPDP may have tactically resolved to suspend plans to move out of the party for now. The decision to hold back may not be unconnected with the hope of some of these chieftains on the chances of some of their followers clinching juicy posts at the Saturday convention.
In hot race to clinch an elective post in Saturday’s election is Saraki’s man from Kwara state, Bolaji Abdulahi , who will be contesting for the post of the National Publicity Secretary and Mohammed Gwagwarwa , who will be contesting for the position of Treasurer. Gwargwarwa is a staunch follower of Senator Kwakwanso. In the same vein, some nPDP members from Rivers, Sokoto and Nasarawa states are keen on vying for position in the forthcoming national convention of APC. With this hazy development , it is too close to call to say that the defection plan of this power block will go on as scheduled before the Saturday convention.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has foreclosed any plan to meet with members of nPDP over their defection threat. The President said the issue is now a party issue and his input will personalise such matters that require the concerted input of the party leadership at its highest body.
