The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ahmed Makarfi, has said the party is in a coalition talk with more than 16 political parties, ahead of 2019.
The aim of the merger Post-Nigeria learnt, was to stop the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, from winning a second term, in 2019.
“We’re talking to more than 16 political parties, to see how we can come and work together”, Ahmed Makarfi said.
Recall, that PDP was in power for 16 years, before losing the 2015 elections to President Muhammadu Buhari, who campaigned on promises to fight corruption, and quash the Islamist insurgent group Boko Haram.
Makarfi, a former Governor of the Northern State of Kaduna, did not however, identify the parties involved in the talks.
Post-Nigeria learnt that Nigeria has 45 political parties, registered and recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Buhari has also been criticised for making extended visits to his Doctors in London, for the treatment of an undisclosed ailment, leaving power since May 7, in the hands of his Vice, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.
“We shouldn’t politicise the illness of the President, but again we can’t run away from the fact that it has made the government unsettled”, Makarfi said.
“We have an Acting President with full constitutional powers to function, but they keep giving excuses. There’s no way they can have cohesion in such a manner, and give effective leadership.”
The PDP has scheduled a National Convention on August 12, in Abuja, to amend its constitution and deal with disciplinary processes for straying members, according to its Secretariat.
The party favours using the report of a 2014 National Conference, that calls for devolving more powers to the regions, as a basis for dealing with ethnic tensions that recently flared up in the country of 180 million people, he said.
“We have tested men and women that will come out to contest for elective offices, and with enhanced internal democracy, the best candidates will emerge”, Makarfi said.
“Having been in government for 16 years, we know what our mistakes were and we’ll correct them.”
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