From IGNATIUS OKPARA, Enugu
AHEAD the 2015 general elections in the country, the All Nigeria Peoples Party {ANPP }, says she is seriously working round the clock towards providing the Nigerian masses the long awaited alternative to the ruling peoples Democratic Party PDP.
The PDP according to the opposition party, has failed the entire nation in all ramification since it took over the mantle of leadership of the country in 1999, especially in the area of power supply and war against corruption, saying, “change has become imperative and necessary.
Speaking weekend in Enugu, during a one day meeting between the party’s National rebuilding and interparty contact committee and south east zone members, immediate past governor of Kano state and chairman of the 21- man committee, Dr. Ibrahim Shakarau, insisted that change was over due and has become inevitable in the country.
He explained that it was against the backdrop of the PDP,s total failure that ANPP is now canvassing merger among parties with similar ideologies and philosophy, adding that the nation may continue to face dwindling economy until the ruling PDP is sent parking both at state and feral levels of government.
Nigerians the ex- governor remarked, have tolerated the excesses of the PDP enough, calling on all progressives in the country to join hands with the opposition party in retrieving the political soul of the nation from the failed ruling party, which he described as a monster.
”The only way to dislodge this monster called PDP is for all progressives in Nigeria to come together and form a strong common front , because the unity of opposition parties will provide the platform for the onerous task.
He however, hinted that the committee which has six months to round -off its assignment, was set up by the National secretariat of the opposition party with a view to addressing some critical issues affecting it .
The meeting he said, is part of the party’s rebuilding process and way forward, because it would afford its members across the country to make their own input in whatever the national secretariat is planning or proposing.
Principal among the committee’s terms of reference Shekarau disclosed , is to workout modalities for the merger deal between ANPP and other willing opposition parties, as well as take a holistic and critical look at some of the problems confronting the party including identifying some of its members who decamped to other political parties .
The committee chairman, said that the party had already written to some opposition parties on the proposed political alliance, which he expressed optimism would yield positive result in the end
Also speaking at the event, one time Governor of Yobe state, and serving senator, Senator Buka Abba Ibrahim, said he had always belong to the progressives since joined politics many years ago, declaring that he would die a progressive .
The lawmaker, therefore called on all true democrats in the country not to hesitate in embracing the ANPP change crusade which he said, would be for the interest of all and sundry when realized