Abuja / Abeokuta – A head of 2019 general elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Reformed-All Progressives Congress (R-APC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party and 33 others on Monday signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to field a single presidential candidate to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari.
Some members of the alliance also suggested that the gesture of fielding a unity candidate at the presidential level should also be replicated for governorship and other positions across the country.
Recall that the move by these political parties to form alliance had been in the political space in the past weeks. Their agenda, it was gathered, was to present a joint candidate in 2019 to unseat President Muhammadu Buhari.
The National Chairman of ADC, Chief Okey Nwosu, had last week told our correspondent that the arrangement would be made public soon, adding that members of the alliance would definitely accept the decisions of eminent statesmen, as the nation is presently overwhelmed with problems.
The other political parties, which signed the MoU are: Action Alliance (AA), Action Peoples Party (APP), Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD), Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP), C4C, Democratic Alternative (DA), Democratic People’s Congress (DPC), Equity and Progress, GDPN, Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), Kowa Party, Forward Ever, Mass Action Joint Alliance, Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN), Service and Progress.
Also signed the MoU are: National Conscience Party (NCP), New Generation Party (NGP), National Unity Party (NUP), Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM), NIP, NDCP, Peoples Alliance for National Development & Liberty (PANDL), Peoples Progressive Party (PPP), People for Democratic Change (PDC), Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Providence People’s Congress (PPC), RBNP, Restoration Party of Nigeria, Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Young Democratic Party (YDP) and All Grassroots Alliance (AGA).
The parties MoU read by Tom Ikimi said. “The parties shall work together to ensure the emergence of a joint presidential candidate of which modalities for this collegiate process shall be under a separate agreement by the parties.
“The parties shall promote a positive reaction to the above listed failures of the present regime and to give hope to all our people. The parties shall ensure that the coalition is committed to working together in support of the single presidential candidate to contest the 2019 presidential election in order to successfully enthrone a true democrat who will salvage the nation from the misrule of the APC government.
“The parties shall promote acceptable core values for the restructuring of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, secure lives and property, rebuild and redirect our nation’s economy back onto the part of growth, respect human rights and freedoms, protect and uphold the cherished values of democracy and the democratic institutions and generally put right the country which unfortunately has now been dangerously divided along ethnic, religious and tribal lines.
“The parties shall encourage state alliance between themselves to ensure that the cooperating parties under the grand alliance emerge victorious at state governorship, state legislature and National Assembly elections.
“The parties accept the policy of zoning political and elective offices between the six geopolitical zones of the federation. The parties shall ensure that the emergent president under the grand alliance shall treat the presentation of an executive Bill on restructuring and devolution of power to the National Assembly a major priority.
“The parties shall ensure that the leadership in the National Assembly initiates its own process to enable a Bill on restructuring and devolution of power if this become necessary.”
Those, who spoke at the grand alliance, which came under the aegis of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) took President Buhari and the APC to the cleaners, describing them as failure.
In his welcome address, Sen. Ben Obi boasted that the coalition will usher in a government of national unity, to rescue the nation from imminent collapse.
He lamented that the APC government has completely destroyed the economy and scared away investors, adding that “we are here to correct the history.
“We are here to form a government that will protect the lives and property of its citizens. We are here to rescue the country from nepotism.
“Every day they make efforts to silence the opposition and muscle the media. We are here to end their ineptitude and provide solution. They have muscled the three arms of government making democratic institutions inactive.”
He said that if they failed to put this in the right perspective, “even the unborn generation will not forgive us. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to rescue this nation. It is a war between light and darkness and the light will prevail over darkness.”
Speaking on behalf of Social Democratic Party (SDP), while Olagunsoye Oyinlola said that the assignment is from God and should be taken seriously, Olu Falae, the National Chairman of the party, lamented that incompetence, selfishness and lack of direction has been the bane of the nation since APC took over government.
Oyinlola said: “Beyond enthroning a new government, the key point of the MoU is to restructure the country. This is the last opportunity for all to rescue the country.
“The MoU is a water shed in the quest to redirect the affairs of this country. Insecurity has become the order of the day, while the government is lost and continues to pass the buck in a ridiculous manner. We must ensure that we come together to ensure that our country, Nigeria, is in good shape. This is an assignment from God which must be taken very seriously and with sincerity of purpose. The APC failed and it failed woefully and that makes it imperative that we must do things differently.”
Falae on the other hand, said: “Most Nigerians are distressed because of the situation of the country. Incompetence, selfishness and lack of direction has been the bane of this country and we have no option than to form this coalition. I will like my party to produce the next president, but as things are now, we cannot afford to dissipate energy. All our vote must go to the candidate from this coalition so that all our votes will go to our candidate in every election. We must ensure that ambition does not destroy this alliance. We must make sacrifices to get this alliance working.”
The Chairman of R-APC, Buba Galadima, said that the alliance will send shivers down the spins of the ruling party, adding that Buhari will fail in 2019.
“Buhari will not only lose the election but also lose his deposit. We are prepared and prepared to take up this fight in spite of all deprivation and even torture, because this country belongs to all of us. We are prepared to lay down our lives for this great country.
“If we are fair to ourselves, do things transparently and bring out one man or woman, we shall save the country for ourselves and our children. This is not going to be easy, this is not going to be a tea party, because the person that we shall be facing is an army general but I know him. If I were his advisers, I will advise him not to run.”
Senator Dino Melaye and Abubakar Baraje of nPDP, who have formally joined PDP appreciated the PDP for taking them back.
Melaye said: “APC will lose power in 2019. I assure that President Muhammadu Buhari is entitled to failure and in 2019 he will fail,” this is even as Baraje said, “we were led astray,” thanking PDP for taking them back after years of hopeless political sojourn.
Yinusa Tanko of National Conscience Party said that APC government is full of all kinds of impunity, segregation and worse, “Nigerian are being killed on the street more than before. This is a war between the have and have nots and Nigerian people will win.”
While Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, who spoke on behalf of the governors, said that honesty and sincerity must be separated from politics, and the coalition must hold truth as truth and not politics. The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, lamented the level the Buhari led government has reduced the nation to.
This is even as the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, tasked all to join hands to rescue this country collectively, adding, “Our destiny is in our hands, no one will do it for you, you will do it yourselves. Our fore fathers came together to fight for their rights, so you are to fight for your rights, from intimidation, harassment, killing and conquest. Nigerians are waiting for you to come and vote out this government.”
Those who were present at the signing of the MoU are Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia; Bafarrawa, Sule Lamido, Bode George, Ahmed Makarafi, Captain Wada, Ibrahim Idris, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Amb. Wali Jibrin, Senator David Mark, Chief Enenche Okon, Tom Ikimi, Raymond Dokpesi, Ike Ekweremadu, Godswill Akpabio, Liyel Imoke and a host of others.
Obasanjo Causes Stir, Makes Surprise Appearance At PDP Rally
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Monday made a surprise appearance at the mega rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held at Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
The former president, who arrived at the rally about 4:50p.m caused stir as he made his way to greet the members and supporters of the party at the venue.
Many supporters, who were at the event since early in the morning, quickly abandoned their stands to catch a glimpse of the former president who, it was gathered, provided the open space for the rally after three other choice venues were allegedly shut at the party.
Obasanjo, who is the promoter of the African Democratic Party (ADC), however, disappeared from the scene before too many people would gather to see him.
It would be recalled that the former president, who tore his membership card of the party in February 2015, said he had since dropped partisan politics and adopted the status of a statesman.
It would be noted that the former president provided the auditorium of the library for a faction of the party led by a member of House of Representatives, Ladi Adebutu, in November 2017 when the party elected factional leadership of the party.
While addressing the supporters, Adebutu, who is also a governorship aspirant of the party ahead of the 2019 election, acknowledged the former president for his presence at the party.
According to him, the former president cannot forget the party that gave him a platform from where he served two terms of four years as the president.
He also informed the supporters that the former president midwifed the Memorandum of Understanding between PDP and 33 other parties to form an alliance aimed at unseating President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The post PDP, R-APC, ADC, 36 Others Sign MoU To Defeat Buhari appeared first on Independent Newspapers Nigeria.
Source: Daily Independent
We appreciate you for reading our post, but we think it will be better you like our facebook fanpage and also follow us on twitter below.