Mixed reactions in Sokoto State have trailed the recent merger of the major opposition parties in Nigeria which led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Former Governor of Sokoto State , Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa told Newsmen in Sokoto on Monday ‘’ I am a member of the merger talks representing my party, ANPP and I support the merger.
‘’ The merger is not the problem but those who are trying to run the new mega party may be the problem.
‘’ For the mega party to succeed, we must all set aside our selfish interests and save the Nigerian masses ,’’ he added .
Bafarawa also underscored the need for internal democracy to be allowed to play out in the APC , saying ‘’ there should be free choice of leaders ’’.
The Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) in Sokoto State , Alhaji Aminu Bello, said the merger did not pose any threats to the PDP.
‘’ The merger is a good omen for democracy. it will serve as a check and balance on the nation’s democratic system .
‘’ Such efforts of merging against the PDP will amount to nothing. PDP is still the party to beat in Nigeria and the strongest one in Africa ,’’ he said.
Bello said that the most important and formidable threat to PDP was an internal one, as its control should be decentralised to the states and zones.
‘’ There is the urgent need to go back to where the party was before when the state and zonal chapters had full control of the party.
‘’ The states should be allowed to have the full grasp of the party as the governors are the real grassroots pillars of the PDP ,’’ the PDP scribe added .
According to Bello, the governors determine who emerges at all levels and ’’ whoever emerges in the PDP is the product of the governors and the members’’.
Bello advised Nigerians not take politics as a do-or-die affair, saying ’’ the PDP-led government in Sokoto is running an open door policy and carrying everybody along.’’
The Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political parties (CNPP) in the state, Alhaji Abba Sidi, also welcomed the merger.
Sidi said ’’ it is a good development for Nigerian democracy because there is no operational democracy without a viable opposition’’.