Onu, govs take over ANPP Merger Committee

[Punch]

The National Chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, has been named as the leader of the merger committee set up by the party to distribute the slots allotted to it in the All Progressives Congress merger arrangement.

This was one of the decisions taken at the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the party, which was held at its secretariat in Abuja on Saturday.

The Onu's committee was also asked to continue merger talks with the other political parties involved in the merger arrangement.

The parties are the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Congress for Progressive Change.

Offices allotted to the ANPP in the APC are the national secretary, national financial secretary, deputy national organising secretary, national welfare secretary, deputy national publicity secretary, two vice- chairmen and two ex-officio members.

The party said names of officials for these positions would be made public on Monday.

Briefing journalists at the end of the NEC meeting, the National Publicity Secretary of the ANPP, Emma Enuekwu, said Onu would head the new committee on merger talks with other political parties.

Apart from him, others in the committee are governors of Borno State, Kassim Shettima; Zamfara State, Abdullazeez Yari; and Yobe State, Ibrahim Geidam.

Also in the committee are former governors of the party such as Senator Ali Modu Sherrif, Senator Sani Yerima, Senator Buka Ibrahim and Ibrahim Kwankwaso. The National Secretary, Tijjani Tumsah and National Treasurer, Shaibu Musa, are also in the committee.

Eneukwu said the committee's mandate was to continue to act on behalf of the party in the merger negotiations until APC is registered and also share the offices allotted to ANPP in APC.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Board of Trustees of the party, Ali Modu Sheriff, said, "A committee was set up to look at these positions and divide them among party members. Our decision is also to continue with the merger to a logical conclusion.

"At the meeting, we talked about the merger, what had happened so far and where we are going. The position of the ANPP is to get the leaders to sit down and share them. It (sharing of positions) will be done by Monday."

Sherrif, however, said there was no rancour so far in the sharing the positions.

He said, "There was no rancour. In politics, there are different views always and the view that is decided on last is usual the amicable one. And what we decided amicably now is to have a committee of all the leaders to sit down and share the positions across the country."

In his address at the NEC meeting,  Onu, hailed the progress made so far in the merger process and expressed confidence that the APC would produce the next President even though he said it might not be easy to defeat the ruling party.

He said "in the various states of the federation which we now control, I am confident that our merger with other opposition political parties will give us near total control.

"At the stage where the merger process has reached, at the moment, I am happy to inform you that we have met all the conditions for the three major opposition political parties, ACN, ANPP and CPC, to merge as prescribed by law and contained in the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).

"Let no one ever think, that it will be easy to defeat an incumbent administration.  But, it can be done.  However, a lot of hard work will be needed.  Challenges will come.  Our patience will be tested.  Our ability to persevere will also be tested. But if our eyes are on the right path, if we listen attentively to the voice of Nigerians and respect the feelings of all, we will definitely succeed by the grace of the Almighty God."



The Punch