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Former members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the ruling All
Progressives Congress, APC, appear to be spoiling for a fight as they
issued a seven-day ultimatum, asking the party to address their complaints
of marginalization.
Their letter which was addressed to the National chairman of the APC,
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, was signed by by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje,
former National Chairman of the former PDP bloc and Prince Olagunsoye
Oyinlola, the group’s former National Secretary.
Both signatories are known to be lukewarm to the alliance put together in
2014, with Oyinlola openly rejecting a board appointment and teaming up
with Olusegun Obasanjo’s national coalition movement and Karaje being
accused by APC members in Kwara state of being anti-Buhari.
With the tone of the letter, the political bloc may just be preparing the
ground to break away.
The group accused the ruling APC of marginalising its members in cabinet
positions, board appointments and working to block the emergence of Yakubu
Dogara and Bukola Saraki as speaker and senate president in 2015.
The group also listed five other sins committed against them by the APC,
among them the lack of consultation of their members in decision making
and the harassment of their members, which was not substantiated.
They thus gave Chief John Oyegun, seven days to respond and arrange a
meeting.
“Given the constraining factor of available time and in the interest of
our great Party, it is strongly advised that the said urgent meeting be
held not later than Seven (7) days from the date of the receipt of this
letter,” the letter read.
Here is the text of the letter:
TEXT OF THE LETTER
The National Chairman
All Progressives Congress (APC)
National Headquarters
Abuja.
REQUEST FOR REDRESSING OF GRIEVANCES OF THE FORMER NEW PDP BLOCK WITHIN
THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS (APC)
We the members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who moved over from
the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to form the APC before the 2015
General Elections in Nigeria are desirous of strengthening our party
especially now that new party Congresses have commenced and the Convention
and another round of General Elections are imminent. Obviously, this
cannot be achieved without addressing fundamental issues which we wish to
raise in this letter.
We therefore wish, with due respect, to re-state our expectation then and
now that the APC we all laboured to build would be one united, inclusive,
cohesive and progressive party devoid of divisions, factions, cleavages
and tendencies. We envisioned a political party promoting equal rights for
all Nigerians and ensuring rapid and even development across the country.
Of course there is no gainsaying the fact that the lofty ideals enumerated
above cannot be attained without ensuring justice for party faithfuls and
citizens.
Kindly indulge us to offer a brief reminder of the history of events that
led to the victory of the APC in the 2015 General Elections and the
presidential election in particular. It is an undeniable historical fact
that the movement of the former New PDP block to form the APC contributed
immensely to the victory of the APC in the elections. The former new PDP
included five sitting Governors of Sokoto, Kano, Kwara, Adamawa and Rivers
States and former Governors of Kebbi, Gombe, Osun, former Vice President
of Nigeria, former acting National Chairman of PDP, sitting Speaker of the
House of Representatives, many serving members of the National Assembly
and many renowned politicians and PDP Elders. It was a watershed moment in
Nigeria’s political History.
Most of these leaders not only DELIVERED their States to the APC at the
elections, some of the Governors were also assigned specific
responsibilities to ensure that other States were also delivered to the
APC in the 2015 elections. The then Governor of Sokoto took charge of
Kebbi and the then Governor of Kano State took responsibility for Kano,
Kaduna and Jigawa States just to mention a few examples. There were also
unprecedented efforts by many stakeholders such as Senator Bukola Saraki,
in concert with others, to DELIVER the entire North Central to the APC.
These efforts, contributions and sacrifice were made in spite of the fact
that the presidential ticket was taken by the erstwhile Congress for
Progressive Change, (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria, (ACN) blocks
of the party. It is a matter for grave concern that His Excellency, Mr
President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has never publicly acknowledged our
efforts in the face of clear evidence that the total number of votes
scored by the APC in States where leaders and members of the then NEW PDP
block held sway made the difference.
The stubborn facts are as follows: In Kano State APC scored 1,903,999 in
2015, and in Kwara 302,146. In Sokoto State it scored 671,926, and 374,701
in Adamawa. In Kebbi State, APC had 567,883 votes and 885,988 in Jigawa.
It was the same story in Gombe (459,898), Kogi (264,851), and Benue
(373,961) votes. These represented significant additions to the APC
victory column. Indeed, the influence, activities, momentum and ripple
effect generated by the former New PDP block was significant in the
victory of APC in the entire elections in the whole country.
At this stage we would chronicle a few grievances which if addressed will
lead to a harmonious APC where justice, equity, fairness and peace will
reign and enable APC avoid rancour, reinvigorate the pace of national
development and face the 2019 General Elections as one united party.
Our grievances include:
(a) In the constitution of the Federal Executive Council, (FEC) the New
PDP block was generally sidelined as virtually no position was conceded to
it. The only member of FEC that belonged to former New PDP block comes
from a State that contributed virtually no vote to the APC in the 2015
presidential elections.
(b) There has been no significant patronage and appointments to executive
positions in various government agencies such as Chief Executives and
Executive Directors of government agencies and parastatals as members of
our block of the party continue to helplessly watch as these positions are
shared by the erstwhile CPC, ACN, ANPP and even APGA blocks of the party
and those who have no party at all.
(c) In appointments into boards of various government agencies, very few
former New PDP members were patronised. These are however not commensurate
with our contributions to the growth and victory of the party.
(d) When members of the former New PDP block showed interest in running
for the offices of President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of
Representatives, they were subjected to a vicious and relentless political
opposition as if they were not legitimate members of the APC family.
(e) During the party primaries preparatory to the 2015 General Elections,
most of the promises made to sitting members of the National Assembly, who
belonged to the former new PDP in terms of a level playing field were
reneged upon or observed more in breach.
(f) There has been general lack of consultation, non recognition and even
persecution of former New PDP members and leaders by the party and
government. For example, some of our leaders are denied the security cover
necessary to visit their constituencies even though they are elected
representatives of the people in a government they sacrificed so much for.
(g) Harassment, intimidation and persecution of former New PDP leaders by
the government, is still an ongoing affair. We do not want to overstate
the obvious by cataloguing names of former new PDP stalwarts that are
targets of this political pogrom.
(h) There is inadequate reflection of programme and policy contributions
of members of the former New PDP block in the running of the government.
Our belief is that it does not augur well for our party if a section of it
feels that it is being treated as outcasts and meddlesome interlopers in
the party they rightly belong with the legitimate expectation to be
treated with justice both in the running of the party and the government.
Arising from the issues outlined above, among others, we request for an
urgent meeting with the Leader of the party, and the Party Executive
leadership to find lasting solutions to the issues raised so as to prepare
the party as a fighting force to deliver more pungently on its manifesto
and face the 2019 General Elections with even greater commitment. The
meeting will also enable us to work out modalities to ensure a level
playing field for all in the Congresses and Convention of the APC.
Given the constraining factor of available time and in the interest of our
great Party, it is strongly advised that the said urgent meeting be held
not later than Seven (7) days from the date of the receipt of this letter.
In conclusion, we the members of the former New PDP block of the APC wish
to reiterate that this letter is written patriotically with the best of
intentions and the good of our party, the APC, and is issued to alert the
leadership of the APC and in particular, the leader of our party,
President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, who only recently indicated his
intention to seek a second term as President, of grievances that exist
within the party with a view to ensuring justice for all members of the
APC family regardless of the blocks they came from prior to the formation
of the APC.
For and on behalf of the former New PDP Block of APC:
Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje (CON), former National Chairman (nPDP)
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former National Secretary (nPDP).