By DAUD OLATUNJI
ABEOKUTA—National Chairman, All Nigeria Peoples' Party, ANPP, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu, has said the party would merge with other opposition political parties ahead of the 2015 Presidential election against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Onu, who was in Ikenne, Ogun State, weekend, with members of the executive of the party on a courtesy visit to the widow of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief H.I.D. Awolowo, said the party had begun collaborative moves with other parties to form a formidable opposition to PDP.
According to Onu, for democracy to be entrenched in the country, the opposition political parties must be seen and allowed to play their traditional constitutional role.
He said: "The seeming non-existence of strong opposition could be blamed for the poor performance of the ruling political parties at state and national levels.
"We are also working very hard to enter into relationship with other opposition political parties.
"We want a situation whereby there can be competition in the political arena. We, ANPP, are not even interested in being in opposition, we were not founded to be in opposition.
"We were founded to form government at all levels but until that is done, Nigeria must have effective opposition so that any person, man or woman who occupies any elective position anywhere in the country will know that he owes that position to the people and if you don't do well, you can leave for another person to come in.
Responding, Awolowo, who expressed worry over the situation of things in the country, enjoined all Nigerians to keep praying for the nation to avert further calamity.
She said: "We would continue to pray for Nigeria because as Nigeria is moving, one is wondering where we are moving to. Whether we are moving forward or backward, I don't know."
" But we=ll continue to pray so that Nigeria will move forward because I don=t know. We=ll continue to pray for Nigeria because we wouldn=t want Nigeria to sink. We want Nigeria to rise and if we join hands, God will hear our prayers.
Vanguard Nigeria