Date Published: 01/04/11

Grand Alliance rips AC apart, NEC meeting deadlocked...Ribadu set to leave if Buhari is adopted

The National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Action Congress of Nigeria held in Abuja Tuesday ended in a deadlock.

Pointblanknews.com however learnt that a stakeholders meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday in Abuja to try and approach the CPC with one voice.

Two power blocs in the party failed to agree on how to go about the proposed grand alliance with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Pointblanknews.com sources hinted that while the Chairman Bisi Akande’s flank wants the party to insist that the CPC’s aspirant , Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, and AC N’s Nuhu Ribadu, Usman Bugaje etc be made to face primaries, the Bola Tinubu wing believes the AC should just adopt Buhari.

The Tinubu group, which has Osun’s Rauf Aregbesola in its fold believes with with the alliance led by Buhari, the AC would maximize its gains in next year’s polls, but the Akande flank which has Ekiti’s Kayode Fayemi, has maintained that Buhari, Nuhu Ribadu, Usman Bugaje and all those interested should test popularity at the primaries.

Pointblanknews.com also gathered that while Akande who openly canvassed for a younger candidate at the party’s Benin convention, sees Buhari as too old, the Tinubu group believes he is more experienced and more popular than Ribadu in the far north.

This move by the Tinubu flank to push for Buhari’s adoption has unsettled the Ribadu’s camp. Last week Ribadu who denied stepping down for Buhari, took a veiled swipe at the Tinubu flank saying “ it is the nature of clique politics, especially at the last quarter of an electoral match that such misinformation and underhand strategies are being employed”

Pointblanknews.com gathered that Ribadu who is being viewed as to ambitious may exit the party if Buhari is adopted. Feelers from his camp indicate that he may leave for APGA or the Labor Party.

Meanwhile, Buhari is insisting that if there would be an alliance, the banner should be that of his party the CPC. This has not gone down well with the AC which sees itself as a ‘senior partner’

It was learnt that even though Buhari has been told he would be adopted under the AC N banner, he is insisting that he would want his CPC. According to our source” this is like eating his cake and having it. He cant be standard bearer in an alliance that would adopt his party’s name. The CPC is not as popular as AC considering the spread”

Said our source” the meeting ended in a deadlock, they couldn’t agree on some key issues. The issue of how to go about the alliance, who will be standard bearer, what name to adopt were some thorny issues. But another meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow in Abuja. Not a NEC but like a stakholders parley.”