APC Storm Adamawa For Murtala Nyako

Key leaders of the new Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday met in Yola, Adamawa State, to fine-tune strategies to wrest power from the mainstream PDP in the 2015 general elections.

At the meeting held at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Yola, the APC and “new PDP” leaders led by former head of state Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, former governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and APC national chairman Chief Bisi Akande declared that the time had come for Nigerians to end the injustice and misrule of the PDP.

The trio said that they were in the state to encourage Governor Murtala Nyako to defect to the APC to salvage the country from the “rudderless leadership of the PDP”.

“Nigerians are tired of the injustice and impunity being perpetrated by the PDP which informed our visit to invite you into our fold,” they said.

Akande told Nyako that APC is founded on rule of law where the rights of all Nigerians will be safeguarded to the letter.

‘’I can assure you that, in APC, internal democracy will be enshrined. Please let’s not make a mistake. The time for a viable change is now. Our discussion with other governors is very fruitful ahead of the proposed merger,’’ Akande said.

Buhari re-echoed Akande’s position, saying that their mission to Yola was to persuade Nyako to join the APC for the betterment of the country.

“All what we are trying to do is to get this country out of the current mess. In our bid to do that, Adamawa State must join us to deliver this country; that is why we are here. We need peace and prosperity in this country,” he said.

In his response, Nyako said that he is still a PDP member but would always identify with like minds for the progress of Nigeria. “What we are doing today is not politics but showing concern for our future,” he said. “The fact that Buhari is here physically with other stalwarts of the party is a sign of hope; that leaders from various divides are meeting here gives Nigerians the hope that we are uniting for the good of the country.”

Nyako, who declared that the PDP is very sick, added: “If APC means making Nigeria a key player in Africa, or saving or securing it, I don’t mind being in any political party.”

Nyako, also an aggrieved member of the G-7 governors opposing the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee (NWC), said the PDP is on the verge of death because the leaders in Abuja had given it a terrifying under-cut. “No one should expect me to follow a dead party into the grave,” he said.

The APC national vice-chairman in the north-east, Alhaji Umar Duhu, said that the talk was at the instance of the party.

“We are not expecting only seven but 11 governors and, with this development, the opposition will now have 22 governors and probably take over the leadership of the National Assembly even before the 2015 election.’’