Also, anxiety has gripped Borno political leaders over the “new deal” between the PDP and Sheriff.
The leaders alleged that the ‘secret’ deal involves dropping the ongoing investigation of Sheriff by security agencies in connection with the activities of Boko Haram (Western education is a sin) – the fundamentalist sect that has killed many in its campaign to impose Sharia, the strict Islamic code.
Sheriff has been quizzed by the State Security Service (SSS) over the emergence of the sect in Borno State during his tenure.
All the ANPP governors have endorsed the merger and vowed to keep the party intact against the pressure on Sheriff to factionalise it.
A highly-placed source, who spoke in confidence, said the governors vowed to checkmate Sheriff and those being asked to form a splinter group in ANPP.
The source said: “The ANPP governors are aware of the plot by the Presidency and the PDP to frustrate the merger of four parties by destabilising the party. They have also floated counter-plans to checkmate Sheriff and others working against the merger.
“The grand plan of the Presidency and the PDP is to create a crisis in ANPP, like the case with the Alliance for Democracy (AD) where two national chairmen emerged.
“They are trying to prevail on Sheriff to split the party and at the end of the day; the government will use its might to recognise only the Sheriff’s faction of the party.
“They want to technically edge out all ANPP governors, ex-governors, senators, and members of the House of Representatives and Houses of Assembly from the party.
“We have uncovered their plan; we will not allow it to succeed. No one can break ANPP.”
It was learnt that to demonstrate their commitment, some of the ANPP governors attended Tuesday session of the All Progressives Congress(APC) with vital stakeholders like National Assembly members, to be part of the session.
The source added: “At the appropriate time, the governors will come out openly on their position.”
Another source said: “They are wooing Sheriff with a bait to grant him reprieve on the ongoing investigation of his activities by security agencies on the emergence of Boko Haram crisis while in office.
“You can now see how desperate those in the ruling party have become. The security agencies quizzed Sheriff but till today, Nigerians have not been told their findings.
“What they have offered him is a reprieve from investigation if he can destabilize ANPP because they are desperate to win the Northeast.
“Nigerians should watch this development because it is certainly irritating and insulting to play politics with the security challenges in the Northeast.
“Instead of Sheriff factionalising ANPP, we will rather strengthen the party and later the APC to effect a change in 2015.”
The Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) yesterday joined the APC.
DPP National Chairman Major General Bashir Magashi told reporters after the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja that DPP had resolved to join the merger.
Magashi said the merger had become imperative adding that: “Before now we have been talking and by the grace of God this merger will succeed and we will dismantle a government that is not fair to the people of this country.”
The DPP NEC resolved: “In view of the current political development in the country, the NEC hereby resolves that the DPP should go into the merger. A committee be set up to talk with the other parties disposed to merger with a view to negotiating for the best interest of DPP. The committee is to report back within 21 days to the NEC through the national chairman who shall thereupon summon a NEC meeting.”
At the NEC meeting were the DPP’s Board of Trustees (BOT) chairman, Gen. Jeremiah Useni, state chairmen and top members.
The merging parties are planning to hold national conventions to approve the formation of the APC, Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed has said.
He described the extra-ordinary conventions as a critical element of the merger. Following the resolution of the parties at the conventions, which must be witnessed by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, the party chairmen will consequently notify the electoral agency that they have merged into APC, Mohammed said.
The letters conveying the decision to merge must also be signed by the party chairmen, secretaries and treasurers. The ACN chieftain said within 30 days, INEC must respond to the collective request for merger in either a positive or negative way. If no response is forth-coming, he said, the merger instantly takes effect at the expiration of the 30 days. From that time, the participating parties will cease to exist.
TheNation
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