The battle for 2015 presidency may have taken a new
dimension as there are credible reports that opposition party, Congress
for Progressive Change (CPC) has been receiving anonymous donors in
the last few months.
This is coming as the CPC is reported to be reconsidering its original merger agenda with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)with a new plan to pursue fusion with All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP).
Checks showed that the CPC, in recent weeks, had been receiving offer of support and assistance towards the party‘s preparation for 2015, even as it was gathered that General Muhammadu Buhari has instructed that no unknown donation should be accepted.
It was gathered further that some of those unidentified donors had capitalised on the recent demise of the General‘s first daughter to throng the Kaduna residence of the politician and offer partnership and support for the next general election.
A CPC chieftain in Abuja told the Nigerian Tribune that the party had been receiving unsolicited support and pledges from some top zonal and regional figures, who are not members of the party.
“It is strange but we are receiving pledges from influential figures who choose not to be identified. Many of them said they don’t want their names mentioned or listed in connection to funding the party,” the party chief, who is very close to the party secretariat, said.
The source hinted that the party, at a point, had to stop receiving such donations and pledges, adding that “many of those donors simply said they want to identify with the party ahead of 2015.
“Let me say that they are not our members and we did not ask them for money. We are also careful not to fall into the hands of PDP agents,” the source said.
The party chief had let the cat out of the bag when he hinted that the CPC is planning a nationwide biometric database registration of its members with its presidential hopeful, General Muhammadu Buhari, said to be the arrowhead of the registration project.
Asked how the party will fund the registration to cover CPC members across the country, the party chief confirmed that funding will not be a problem as “the party, of late, has new circles of supporters.
“Funding is not likely to be our problems in 2015. So many sympathisers, so many people, seeking alternative to PDP are reaching us secretly. But we are also afraid of being set up by pro-PDP agents,” the source said.
Contacted for comments on the reports of anonymous donations, the national publicity secretary of the CPC, Mr Rotimi Fashakin, neither confirmed nor denied the reports, but added that “the funding of the party is within the ambit of relevant laws.
“Nigerians are free to donate to political parties and if they are doing that for CPC, we are happy. We are the underdog and what you are questioning me about is showing you trends among the populace.”
Meanwhile, all may not be well with the planned grand coalition between the CPC and the ACN as the latest report indicated that the CPC is refocusing on the ANPP for relationship.
“We are having a new thought. ANPP has sizeable presence in the North with three states under its control. We think we should unite the main opposition parties in the North before reaching out to the South,” a party chief involved in the negotiation told the Nigerian Tribune.
The ANPP is said to have nominated former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, as its contact person, with insiders hinting that the two parties had the potential of stopping the PDP in 2015.
The spokesman of the CPC, however, told the Nigerian Tribune that the party is still interested in a merger with the ACN, but added that the CPC is yet to name its committee for the merger meetings with the Bisi Akande-led ACN.
It is, however, not clear whether the change of merger plan by the CPC has anything to do with ongoing moves by major opposition actors in northern Nigerian to forge a common front against the PDP in 2015.
This is coming as the CPC is reported to be reconsidering its original merger agenda with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)with a new plan to pursue fusion with All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP).
Checks showed that the CPC, in recent weeks, had been receiving offer of support and assistance towards the party‘s preparation for 2015, even as it was gathered that General Muhammadu Buhari has instructed that no unknown donation should be accepted.
It was gathered further that some of those unidentified donors had capitalised on the recent demise of the General‘s first daughter to throng the Kaduna residence of the politician and offer partnership and support for the next general election.
A CPC chieftain in Abuja told the Nigerian Tribune that the party had been receiving unsolicited support and pledges from some top zonal and regional figures, who are not members of the party.
“It is strange but we are receiving pledges from influential figures who choose not to be identified. Many of them said they don’t want their names mentioned or listed in connection to funding the party,” the party chief, who is very close to the party secretariat, said.
The source hinted that the party, at a point, had to stop receiving such donations and pledges, adding that “many of those donors simply said they want to identify with the party ahead of 2015.
“Let me say that they are not our members and we did not ask them for money. We are also careful not to fall into the hands of PDP agents,” the source said.
The party chief had let the cat out of the bag when he hinted that the CPC is planning a nationwide biometric database registration of its members with its presidential hopeful, General Muhammadu Buhari, said to be the arrowhead of the registration project.
Asked how the party will fund the registration to cover CPC members across the country, the party chief confirmed that funding will not be a problem as “the party, of late, has new circles of supporters.
“Funding is not likely to be our problems in 2015. So many sympathisers, so many people, seeking alternative to PDP are reaching us secretly. But we are also afraid of being set up by pro-PDP agents,” the source said.
Contacted for comments on the reports of anonymous donations, the national publicity secretary of the CPC, Mr Rotimi Fashakin, neither confirmed nor denied the reports, but added that “the funding of the party is within the ambit of relevant laws.
“Nigerians are free to donate to political parties and if they are doing that for CPC, we are happy. We are the underdog and what you are questioning me about is showing you trends among the populace.”
Meanwhile, all may not be well with the planned grand coalition between the CPC and the ACN as the latest report indicated that the CPC is refocusing on the ANPP for relationship.
“We are having a new thought. ANPP has sizeable presence in the North with three states under its control. We think we should unite the main opposition parties in the North before reaching out to the South,” a party chief involved in the negotiation told the Nigerian Tribune.
The ANPP is said to have nominated former Kano State governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, as its contact person, with insiders hinting that the two parties had the potential of stopping the PDP in 2015.
The spokesman of the CPC, however, told the Nigerian Tribune that the party is still interested in a merger with the ACN, but added that the CPC is yet to name its committee for the merger meetings with the Bisi Akande-led ACN.
It is, however, not clear whether the change of merger plan by the CPC has anything to do with ongoing moves by major opposition actors in northern Nigerian to forge a common front against the PDP in 2015.
