The national chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party’s splinter group, christened the ‘New PDP’, Abubakar Kawu Baraje on Tuesday announced that the group has merged with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He made the announcement after about three hours meeting held with the leadership of the APC at the Kano state Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.
The meeting was attended by Governors Rabiu Kwakwanso of Kano, Muritala Nyako of Adamawa, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Babangioda Aliyu of Niger, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Sam Sam Jaja, former Kwara governor, Bukola Saraki; former Nasarawa governor Abdullahi Adamu, both serving Senator and former Bayelsa governor, Timipre Sylva.
On the APC team were Bola Ahmed Tinubu and national chairman, Bisi Akande, Aminu Masari and former governor of Abia, Ogbonnaya Onu.
At the last special convention of the PDP held at the Eagles square, Abuja, the crack within the ruling PDP blew open when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar led seven Governors out of the convention ground in protest.
Atiku and the governors later addressed a press conference at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua centre, announcing the formation of a splinter group named ‘New PDP’ under the chairmanship of a former acting national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje with Sam Sam Jaja as national deputy chairman and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as National Secretary.
The seven Governors also known as ‘G7’ are Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Rabiu Kwakwanso- Kano, Abdulfatha Ahmed- Kwara, Muritala Nyako-Adamawa, Aliyu Wamakko-Sokoto, Sule Laido-Jigawa and Rotimi Amaechi- Rivers.
Of late, the leadership of the APC had held consultations with the aggrieved governors, appealing to them to join hands with the progressives to dislodge the PDP from Aso Rock.
The consultation train took the APC bigwigs to Kano, Sokoto, Niger and Rivers. The opposition leaders also consulted with former Military President Ibrahim Babangida at his Hilltop residence in Minna, during which Babangida declared that the PDP was not bigger than Nigeria.
On his part, President Goodluck Jonathan also made frantic effort to appeal to the Governors not dump the party. However, while efforts were on to reconcile, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) presided over by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, announced the suspension of four key actors of the new PDP.
Those suspended indefiniytely were Abubakar Baraje, Sam Sam Jaja, Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Ibrahim Kazaure. They were also directed to appear before the Umaru Dikko-led Disciplinary Committee.
On Monday, the new PDP in a statement by its spokesperson Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, appealed to PDP elders to save the party from imminent doom.
With the merger, the APC now controls 18 states as against the 16 being controlled by the ruling PDP. It is also expected that some members of the House of Representatives, about 54 of them and Senators who had earlier recognized the new PDP would declare for the APC.
