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The All Progressives Congress has rejected an invitation by the National Chairman of Social Democratic Mega Party, Chief Olu Falae, to join the mega party, which is being formed by 16 opposition parties.
Falae, a former minister, last week invited the APC to join his party.
But the APC said Falae’s party lacked ‘electoral value.’
The APC said rather, Falae should be at the forefront championing its merger, which is made up of top opposition parties.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, one of the parties that formed APC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said by leading the merger of 16 parties that neither has governors nor lawmakers in the National Assembly as its members, was an indication that Falae did not understand current Nigerian politics.
He said, “I respect his intellectual prowess, tact and sagacity. But I’m not too sure he understands the politics of the time. It doesn’t seem so to me. I don’t know what his decision to lead a group of political parties that have no real electoral value will achieve. I don’t know how that can be placed in the current political scenario.
“The political parties that have blazed the trail of merging are political parties of reckoning. They are the only political parties that really get the ruling party jittery. Chief Olu Falae should coalesce his group with us. We are still open to receiving members. All Progressives Congress is a coalition of progressive Nigerians wherever they may be found and it’s about taking power back to Nigerians.”
Fashakin added that Falae was expected to champion the cause of APC, given that he had led an alliance of major opposition parties in 2011.
“I cannot discountenance his efforts in the past. As a matter of fact, in 2011, before the election, he led a group of four parties: the Social Democratic Mega Party, Action Congress of Nigeria, Congress for Progressive Change and All Nigerian Peoples party. Under his chairmanship, we fashioned a common constitution out of the constitution of these four parties. So, he has led this kind of initiative in the past, I don’t know why he is not at the forefront of ensuring the success of this merger (APC),” he said.
In his reaction to the Falae’s invitation, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Lai Mohammed, said the APC was not interested.
He said, “We thank him for his invitation, but we are not interested.”
Similarly, the ANPP spokesman, Mr. Emma Eneukwu, said Falae was entitled to his opinion, but it was left for APC to consider his proposal.
“He (Falae) is entitled to his opinion. I don’t see anything wrong in him inviting us to join his merger. It is left for us to consider his proposal and see whether it is worth it,” he said.
Last week, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH Falae asked APC to join his merger.
Source: Punch
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