The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a fresh twist as one of the party’s blocks; the New Peoples Democratic Party (New PDP) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the leadership of the ruling party to convene a meeting to redress grievances of its members.
The New PDP also told the APC leadership and president Muhammadu Buhari to stop treating its members as outcasts and meddlesome interlopers in the party they rightly belong.
They accused the Buhari-led government of sidelining, harassing, intimidating and victimising its members.
The letter, dated April 27, and addressed to the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had copies forwarded to President Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
It was signed by former New PDP National Chairman and National Secretary, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, respectively.
Baraje is a known political ally of the Senate President Bukola Saraki, while Oyinola, a former governor of Osun State, is former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s protégé. The former president has not only been critical of the APC administration, but has advised President Muhammadu Buhari against seeking re-election in 2019.
The APC, which was formed in 2013, is an amalgam of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the New PDP.
The New PDP block was led by then Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers).
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar later joined in 2014. Other key members of the then ruling PDP, who later defected to the APC are Senator Saraki and then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal (now governor of Sokoto State).
Listing its grievances, the block said: “In the constitution of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the New PDP block was generally sidelined as virtually no position was conceded to it. The only member of FEC that belonged to former New PDP block comes from a state that contributed virtually no vote to the APC in the 2015 presidential election.”
The reference here was to Rivers State. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi is from the state and now Minister of Transportation. Buhari garnered less than 100,000 votes in Rivers State in the 2015 presidential election.
Other grievances are that: “There has been no significant patronage and appointments to executive positions in various government agencies such as chief executives and executive directors of government agencies and parastatals as members of our block of the party continue to helplessly watch as these positions are shared by the erstwhile CPC, ACN, ANPP and even APGA blocks of the party and those who have no party at all.
“In appointments into boards of various government agencies, very few former New PDP members were patronised. These are, however, not commensurate with our contributions to the growth and victory of the party
“When members of the former New PDP block showed interest in running for the offices of President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, they were subjected to a vicious and relentless political opposition as if they were not legitimate members of the APC family.
“During the party primaries preparatory to the 2015 general elections, most of the promises made to sitting members of the National Assembly, who belonged to the former new PDP in terms of a level playing field were reneged upon or observed more in breach.
“There has been general lack of consultation, non-recognition and even persecution of former New PDP members and leaders by the party and government. For example, some of our leaders are denied the security cover necessary to visit their constituencies even though they are elected representatives of the people in a government they sacrificed so much for.
“Harassment, intimidation and persecution of former New PDP leaders by the government, is still an ongoing affair. We do not want to overstate the obvious by cataloguing names of former new PDP stalwarts that are targets of this political pogrom.
“There is inadequate reflection of programme and policy contributions of members of the former New PDP block in the running of the government. Our belief is that it does not augur well for our party if a section of it feels that it is being treated as outcasts and meddlesome interlopers in the party they rightly belong with the legitimate expectation to be treated with justice both in the running of the party and the government.”
The New PDP block called for an urgent meeting to address their grievances.
“Arising from the issues outlined above, among others, we request for an urgent meeting with the leaders of the party and the party executive leadership to find lasting solutions to the issues raised so as to prepare the party as a fighting force to deliver more pungently on its manifesto and face the 2019 general elections with even greater commitment. The meeting will also enable us to work out modalities to ensure a level playing field for all in the congresses and convention of the APC,” Baraje and Oyinlola wrote.
The urgent meeting, according to the New PDP block, should be convened within seven days from the date of the receipt of the letter. The members of the block reiterated that it was written patriotically with the best of intentions and the good of the APC and is issued to alert the leadership of the ruling party and in particular, its leader, Buhari, of grievances that exist within the party with a view to ensuring justice for all members.
“The meeting will also enable us to work out modalities to ensure a level playing field for all in the Congresses and Convention of the APC. Given the constraining factor of available time and in the interest of our great party, it is strongly advised that the said urgent meeting be held not later than seven days from the date of the receipt of this letter,” the New PDP block said.
The New PDP, which spoke on the efforts, contributions and sacrifice made by its members during the 2015 general elections, which led to the defeat of the PDP in the 2015 presidential poll, said their efforts and contributions have never been publicly acknowledged by President Buhari.
The block maintained that the move to strengthen the APC ahead of the 2019 general elections cannot be achieved without addressing fundamental issues in the party.
Its letter read in part: “We the members of the APC, who moved over from the PDP to form the APC before the 2015 general elections in Nigeria are desirous of strengthening our party, especially now that new party congresses have commenced and the convention and another round of general elections are imminent. Obviously, this cannot be achieved without addressing fundamental issues which we wish to raise in this letter.
“We, therefore, wish, with due respect, to re-state our expectation then and now that the APC we all laboured to build would be one united, inclusive, cohesive and progressive party devoid of divisions, factions, cleavages and tendencies. We envisioned a political party promoting equal rights for all Nigerians and ensuring rapid and even development across the country. Of course, there is no gainsaying the fact that the lofty ideals enumerated above cannot be attained without ensuring justice for party faithful and citizens.
“Kindly indulge us to offer a brief reminder of the history of events that led to the victory of the APC in the 2015 general elections and the presidential election in particular. It is an undeniable historical fact that the movement of the former New PDP block to form the APC contributed immensely to the victory of the APC in the elections. The former new PDP included five sitting governors of Sokoto, Kano, Kwara, Adamawa and Rivers states and former governors of Kebbi, Gombe, Osun, former vice president of Nigeria, former acting national chairman of PDP, sitting Speaker of the House of Representatives, many serving members of the National Assembly and many renowned politicians and PDP elders. It was a watershed moment in Nigeria’s political history.
“Most of these leaders not only delivered their states to the APC at the elections, some of the governors were also assigned specific responsibilities to ensure that other states were also delivered to the APC in the 2015 elections. The then governor of Sokoto took charge of Kebbi and the then governor of Kano State took responsibility for Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa states, just to mention a few examples. There were also unprecedented efforts by many stakeholders such as Senator Bukola Saraki, in concert with others, to deliver the entire North Central to the APC.
“These efforts, contributions and sacrifice were made in spite of the fact that the presidential ticket was taken by the erstwhile Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) blocks of the party. It is a matter for grave concern that His Excellency, Mr. President, Muhammadu Buhari, has never publicly acknowledged our efforts in the face of clear evidence that the total number of votes scored by the APC in states where leaders and members of the then New PDP block held sway made the difference.
“The stubborn facts are as follows: In Kano State APC scored 1,903,999 in 2015, and in Kwara 302,146. In Sokoto State, it scored 671,926 and 374,701 in Adamawa. In Kebbi State, APC had 567,883 votes and 885,988 in Jigawa. It was the same story in Gombe (459,898), Kogi (264,851), and Benue (373,961) votes. These represented significant additions to the APC victory column. Indeed, the influence, activities, momentum and ripple effect generated by the former New PDP block was significant in the victory of APC in the entire elections in the whole country.”
Reacting to the New PDP’s letter, the PDP from which it pulled out, advised members of the block to return to its fold as the APC has nothing to offer them.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, who spoke with New Telegraph on telephone, said: “They (New PDP members) should come home because APC has nothing to offer them. The democratic setting that they left in PDP they can never be found in APC,” Ologbondiyan said.
.New Telegraph