40 against 1: PDP, R-APC, ADC, 36 Other Political Heavyweight Sign Grand Alliance MOU to Defeat APC

- To present joint Presidential candidate to run against APC

BY Pat PA Okon

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC) and 36 other political parties Monday, 9th July, 2018, held a meeting with leaders of over 30 political parties in Abuja, after which they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in a grand alliance to form a government of national unity in 2019.

The meeting, which held at the Shehu Musa Yaradua Centre in the Federal Capital Territory, was convened less than 225 days to the general elections; and barely one day after the PDP claimed the APC was on the “throes of death” and that it was already suffering from pre-defeat trauma ahead of the 2019 elections.

Recall that in a statement by their National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan on Sunday, the party described the ruling party as a “now shattered APC”, saying the party had become intensely nervous over the soaring popularity of the PDP and the surge of Nigerians into their fold as a repositioned and rebranded party.

Leaders of political parties in attendance included that of Former President Olusegun Obasanjo-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party of Nigeria (SDP), National Conscience Party (NCP), Labour Party, and a host of other newly-registered parties.

Some aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who broke out of the ruling party to form the Reformed APC (R-APC)  led by its Chairman, Buba Galadima were also present.

The sole agenda according to the MOU is to produce a joint Presidential candidate capable of winning the forthcoming presidential election and enthrone a new government at the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2019.

In the opening remarks, the former Acting National Secretary of the PDP, Senator Ben Obi said the various parties chose to come together to salvage the nations and put to end all semblance of nepotism and tribalism.

According to him, the President Buhari administration has left Nigerians more divided than they were in 2019. “We are here to begin a process that will lead to the formation of a government of national unity. We are here to put to an end the nepotism and corruption that the APC government has been known for in the past three years.

“They promised to tackle corruption, revamp the economy and address security challenges and restructure the nation but as soon as they were elected, they denied making such promises.  We are here to put an end to dictatorial tendencies and this is a war between light and darkness and I can assure you that light would prevail,” said Senator Obi.

In his speech, the R-APC National Chairman, Buba Galadima noted that the MOU will send shivers down the spine of the ruling party, adding that since he led a splinter group out of the ruling party, the R-APC has been receiving messages of solidarity from across the world.

He said that President Buhari is fated to lose the 2019 election, adding that if the President knew what awaited him, it would have been better for him not to go into electoral contest at all.

His words: “With what I know, I can tell you that President Buhari will not only lose this election, he will lose his deposits. Let us not forget that the man we will be facing is a military general. We are ready, prepared to take on this fight despite their intimidations and threats. “I know him but if I was his adviser, I will tell him not to contest,” Galadima said even as he reminded parties to the alliance that the APC has set aside huge sums of money to buy them over in the months leading to the general polls.

Former Governor of Osun State and leader of the ADC Delegation that represented the party at the meeting, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, described the coalition as “an assignment from God,” even as he urged the parties to be committed to the letters and spirit of the MOU. He said: “We are committed to restructuring of this nation and we must respect the spirit and letters of this understanding”. ''When Nigerians voted in 2015, they thought the APC vehicle will take them to the Promised Land. But three years after, the APC has failed and failed tragically too”

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Minister of Finance, Chief Olu False lamented what he termed the “gross incompetence” of the APC-led government and tasked all parties to the alliance to team up in supporting not only a sole Presidential aspirants but sole governorship candidates, Senatorial candidates as well as House of Representatives candidates across all states of the federation.

“All our votes must go to the Presidential candidate and to the governorship, senatorial and House of Representatives in every state of the federation.

“It is not sufficient to produce the President alone because if we have a President who does not have majority of seats in parliament, there will be challenge as to what the President would be able to do,” he noted.

Parties that signed the MOU were the Action Alliance (AA), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Africa Democratic Party (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Grand Alliance Party (AGAP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), Better Nigeria Progressive Party, Democratic Alternative (DA), Democratic Peoples Party (DPC), Grand Democratic Party of Nigeria (GDPN), Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), KOWA Party, Labour Party (LP), Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA), Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN). Others included the National Conscience Party (NCP), New Generation Party (NGP), National Unity Party (NUP), Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM), Peoples Alliance for National Development and Liberty (PANDEL), Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), People for Democratic Change (PDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Providence People’s Congress (PPC), Reformed All Progressive Congress (RAPC), Restoration Party of Nigeria (RPN), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), All Grassroots Alliance (AGA), National Interest Party (NIP), Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), and Young Democratic Party (YDP) among others.

Among the very visible dignitaries at the august meeting are Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; the lawmaker representing Kogi East, Senator Dino Melaye; former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President, David Mark, the governors of Gombe and Akwa Ibom States, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Udoh Emmanuel respectively. Others were Senator Liyel Imoke, Gbenga Daniel, Ibrahim Mantu, Tom Ikimi, Zainab Maina, Ike Ekweremadu and Chief Bode George.