A report by Thisday indicates that the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) has commenced talks with smaller political parties for a merger.
According to the report, parties like Labour
Party (LP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and five other political parties
are being approached by the PDP.
Senator Ahmed Makarfi |
The parties want to align forces to wrest
power from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general election
The chairman of the PDP strategy review and
inter-party affairs committee and former minister of information, Professor
Jerry Gana gave some insight on the merger talks Wednesday, February 8.
Professor Gana also said the merger had
nothing to do with the “rumoured mega party”.
His words: “We are pleased to report
that our initial contacts have yielded positive responses from seven
people-focused and social democratic parties.
“In fact, later this evening, key leaders and
selected delegates from the seven parties will be meeting on the invitation of
the PDP.
“This has nothing to do with the rumoured mega
party, but a separate and highly principled initiative of the PDP.
“Our desire is to have all genuine democrats
and friends of the party to flow together and provide a fresh and trustworthy leadership
to promote and ensure a people-friendly process of national development.”
He said the committee seriously considered how
best to put in place a robust mechanism for inter-party relations, so as to
encourage the coming together of all genuine and people-oriented democrats on
the basis of shared principles and core programmes on national transformation.
He explained that one of the key
recommendations of the committee was the restoration of the youth and women’s
wings of the party.
The committee also recommended new initiatives
like the adoption of direct primaries, as well as other means of conducting
credible congresses and conventions, and to do away with such practices that
encourage impunity.
The committee, Gana added, also recommended
the use of direct primaries in the conduct of elections into elective
positions.
The Chairman of the National Caretaker
Committee, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, said the party would subject the report of
the Gana-led panel to critical analysis by stakeholders before it is adopted.
Makarfi pointed out an area that was apparently being overlooked
by the committee, which was the manifesto that the party should be offering the
Nigerian people ahead of the 2019 elections.
·
Source: Naij.com
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