ANPP BoT to Ratify Merger Plans

National Chairman, ANPP,   Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Board of Trustees of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) will tomorrow meet in Abuja to consider issues relating to the party’s participation in the ongoing merger talks with other opposition political parties in the country.

THISDAY gathered that the BoT members were to meet in Calabar,  Cross River State, but that their meeting was later rescheduled for this week in Abuja due to cost implications.

Top on the agenda of the BoT headed by the former Governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, is said to be on strategies and condition that would be applied in the negotiations.

A top member of the party told THISDAY Sunday  that the board is also expected to consider members nominated to serve on the merger committee of the party.

The national leadership had earlier constituted a six-man committee headed by a member of the BoT, Admiral Lanre Amosu (rtd) but later expanded it to 20, with the inclusion of all the serving and former governors.
It was learnt that at the meeting of the party’s National Working Committee  (NWC)  held last Thursday, the national officers had a heated session when the national chairman, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, brief them on the talks with leaders of other opposition parties.

Most of the officers were agitated over the seeming back-seat ANPP appeared to be taking on the merger talks.

They worried over the delay in inaugurating the committee on merger which had to wait following the chairman’s trip abroad.

Majority of the NWC were  however calmed down after Onu had tried to allay their fears that the party was indeed holding out it own as far as the engagement with other opposition parties is concerned.

Onu had said the reason for the expansion of membership of the contact committee on merger was to ensure that people with  experiences would be made to impact on the search for a viable mechanism for opposition alliance.

Onu who said the leadership of the party has been exploring ways of restoring the party to a position of eminence, also informed members of NEC that discussions are already underway with  chairmen of leading opposition parties on how to achieve common political interest.

“We have also set up an  inter-party contact committee that will hold talks with other opposition parties with the aim of strengthening platform that will help us win elections at all levels of government.  The membership of the committee will be enlarged to include as many as twenty leaders so as to fully tap the vast experience within the party for the good of all,” he said.

ThisDay