Former nPDP members to quit APC on June 23 – Sources confirm

Prominent politicians who moved en masse from the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013 may collectively move to another party on June 23, Daily Trust reports.


June 23 is the day the ruling party would hold its national convention to elect new leaders.

A top politician familiar with what is going on in the ruling party, the opposition and the presidency said the nPDP members led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje had concluded plans to move out of APC.

“Convention is very important for any political party because it is the creation of the party constitution and any decision taken there is binding, it can make and mar any political party no matter how strong it is,” the report said.


If the aggrieved nPDP members go ahead to leave the party on June 23, it would re-create the scenario in 2013 when former Vice President Atiku Abubakar alongside some governors staged a walkout from the PDP convention. Shortly after, they announced the formation of nPDP at the Yar’adua Centre.

The development paved the way for some PDP senators, members of House of Representatives among others to join the APC, which went ahead to defeat the then ruling party.

“The nPDP wants to score a big point by leaving the APC on the day of its convention. Decisions taken during conventions or extra ordinary meetings carry weight; enough to put a political party in coma,” the source said.

“Sadly, handlers of the APC at the highest echelon of power are not doing the needful. It is suicidal to allude that nPDP members do not have political value, it is not true.

“Agreed they joined the APC when many of them were governors, such as Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano and Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, but all these people are still strong in their states; they have followers and when they leave, it would tell on the fortunes of the party both at the national and state levels,” the source said.


Another source said the nPDP members decided to move ahead because there were no indications that any of their grievances could be addressed.

“Look at the state congresses, with the exception of few places, governors have taken absolute control of all the machineries from the ward to state level. This means those who lost out, of course the nPDP members, would mostly likely have to fall on their knees for them to get tickets to return to their current positions,” he said.

According to him, “Another factor is that during the national convention, the governors would have absolute say and determine who gets what. Do you expect the governors or other forces to allow anyone who is not with them to become even an ex-officio? So the nPDP members have no option but to pull out.”

Source: Daily Trust.