Tuesday that some governors of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) who are
planning to defect to the emerging mega party, the All Progressives Congress
(APC) are gripped by the fear that President Goodluck Jonathan could give them
the James Ibori or Timpre Sylva treatment if elected in 2015.
Sources at a meeting of the merger APC held in
Abuja on Friday, March 22 stated that three of the PDP governors who approached
the leaders of the party have stated that they were afraid that the Anti-graft
agencies could go after them and that if Jonathan gets elected again in 2015 he
would not give them any cover.
A source at the Friday meeting was told
that at least three governors of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) have
concluded arrangements to defect to the new party upon its formation.
The source said that a South South governor has
assured the leaders of the party that he will not remain in the fold of the PDP
if President Goodluck Jonathan decides to contest the 2015 election because of
the fear that he could be sent to jail by any of the nation’s anti-graft
agencies.
“We were told that at least three PDP governors
have confirmed their support for and willingness to decamp to the new
opposition platform if Mr. President would be running for the 2015 Presidential
race.
“One of them (names withheld) particularly told
APC leaders that if Mr. President eventually succeeds in his re-election
ambition, he (Mr. President) would carry out similar treatments he meted out to
Timipre Sylva and James Ibori former Governors of Bayelsa and Delta
States on any of them.
They concluded that it is better to support
another candidate who would possibly protect them,” a source at the meeting
said.
The merging political parties, the All Nigeria
Peoples Party (ANPP), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have also concluded plans to institute a legal action
against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the use of
acronym APC.
A meeting of the Joint Contact Committee of the
merger parties held in Abuja last Friday concluded that a suit be instituted
against INEC to secure an injunction restraining anybody from
registering the name APC pending the conclusion of the National Convention of
the merger parties.
Sources at the meeting said that the
sub-committee of the Joint Contact Committee saddled with the responsibility to
resolve the name crisis had suggested that a suit be instituted against INEC,
such that an injunction would be secured to restrain the body from registering
any party in the name of APC pending the conclusion of the National Convention
of the merging parties.
Although there was also the suggestion that the
parties could adopt the name All Progressives Congress of Nigeria (APCN), a
source said that the parties believed that they could still stick to the
original name APC and sail through.
A source said that the Legal Team has however
concluded that the best way out was for the merging parties is to seek a court
injunction to restrain the INEC from recognising any other political
groups/associations with the APC acronym apart from their own political
platform.”
The source said that such a development would ensure
that the parties are able to conduct their national conventions
peacefully and assume the name APC afterwards.
