Aggrieved nPDP group considers leaving APC enmasse and joining another party ahead of elections

AGGRIEVED members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a faction called nPDP are considering defecting from the party enmasse after holding a meeting in Abuja where they weighed several options.

Originally members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), members of the nPDP defected to the APC before the last election in 2015. However, they have become disillusioned with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and are particularly frustrated by the fact that he will be seeking a second term.

Among those who attended the  meeting were senate president Bukola Saraki, speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso. According to nPDP chairman Alhaji Kawu Baraje, the meeting was called to intimate members on the outcome of an earlier meeting with the leadership of the APC.

Last week, Alhaji Baraje and other members of the nPDP met with APC stakeholders over allegation of marginalisation within the ruling party. In April, the group asked to meet with APC officials to discuss their grievances and expectations from the Buhari government.

Alhaji Baraje said: “Following this development, the party invited us and we honoured their invitation for a meeting. We met with the leadership of the party last week, during which we resolved to report the outcome of our meeting to our members and stakeholders before arriving at any decision or proceeding with the next phase of discussions or actions with the APC and government."

One of those in attendance at the meeting said that the meeting was not restricted to the members of the nPDP block within the APC alone as other like-minds also attended. As part of the outcome, it was learnt, there is the likelihood that the affected members would leave the party in en masse.

He added: “Look at what they are doing to Dino Melaye, who is an APC senator. Even during the PDP era, nobody did such a thing to anybody.

"The police would drag a senator who suffered for the party on the ground and no action was taken. Again, if you look at the congresses held, many nPDP members were sidelined, so they need justice but the ultimate decision taken is to give the party some time to see if they would address the issues and if they don’t, then we’ll have no option than to leave.”

Another source, who was at the meeting, said the tone was set by the senate president who opened the floor by speaking about the plight of the members of the nPDP in the APC. He added that at the end of the meeting, they resolved to pick one of two options.

“One of the two options supported by the majority was the immediate pulling out of the APC. Almost everybody who attended the meeting supported this option.

“But the issue now is that we must forestall the repeat of what happened to us when we joined the APC. Most of the speakers said we must have concrete agreements between us and the party that we will cross to,” he said.

Their second option was for them to remain in the APC and continue to consult and strategise, adding, however, that it did not go down well with majority of the aggrieved members in attendance. Before adjourning, the meeting set up three committees to advise it on the next line of action to take.