Buhari, others Say New Party Gearing Up For 2015

Nigeria’s former Head of State, and presidential candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the 2011 elections, retired General Muhammadu Buhari says the formation of the new opposition party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), is geared towards mobilising Nigerians for 2015.

General Buhari told journalists in Abuja that the focus of the new party is to have a strong opposition force in the next general elections.

The Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi also describes the merger as a rescue mission.

Nigeria’s four main opposition parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) – have announced their merger to challenge the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 election.

PDP Congratulates Opposition Party

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated the opposition parties for their successful merger and formation of a new political party, the All Progressive Congress (APC).

In a press statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, the PDP said as the biggest party in West Africa, it welcomes the development as an indication that the nation’s democracy has come of age and is deepening.

The statement added that with the formation of the APC, the PDP and indeed all Nigerians expect to see robust debates on the economy and other issues of governance.

“We congratulate the opposition for their successful merger and the formation of the All Progressive Congress. This is yet another victory to our democracy. It shows that our democracy has come of age. We hope that from now we will see robust debates on the economy and other issues of governance,” the party said.

The party charged the opposition to use the vehicle of their new party to challenge PDP elected and appointed officers to debates on government projects and achievements so that at the end of the day, Nigerians will benefit from the nation’s political developments.

The PDP, however, said as a ruling party that is committed to the stability and development of the country, it will not dwell on the shortcomings of the merger arrangement but will continue to focus on the welfare of the people.