Chuks Okocha
29 November 2008
Abuja — The Peace and Reconciliation Committee set up by the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to reconcile aggrieved members of the party have recommended that the party should quit the Government of National Unity of President Umaru Yar'Adua, as a measure of re-inventing the party.
Also, the committee headed by the former presidential candidate of the National Republican Convention, Alhaji Bashir Tofa recommended that ANPP should join Action Congress (AC), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Progressive Peoples Party (PPA). Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) to form a mega party for the purpose of unseating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power by 2011.
The Tofa committee accused its presidential candidate in the 2007 presidential election, General Muhammadu Buhari of being disrespectful to the party and asked the party to take appropriate action against him.
The ANPP Peace and Reconciliation Committee said: "More than 90 per cent of those who spoke to us expressed serious apprehension and disapproval of the party's involvement with it."
The report said ANPP's involvement in the Yar'Adua-led GNU, "cripples the idea of ANPP as an opposition party."
"The party has to share the blame with PDP for looting of, and almost destroying the country. The association of ANPP in GNU makes ANPP part of PDP and the GNU is a plan by the PDP to swallow ANPP," the Tofa committee said.
On the future of ANPP in the 2011 general elections, the committee said that very few expressed confidence that ANPPP can form the next government if it agrees to go it alone, stating therefore that the only option left for the party is to join other parties in the formation of a mega party for the 2011 elections.
According to the report, "Many, including some of those leaders suggested that the party should join Action Congress (AC), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Progressive Peoples Party (PPA). Democratic Peoples Party (DPP) and the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA) to form a mega party for the purpose of unseating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form a brand new party."
The Tofa's committee frowned at the attitude of its 2007 Presidential Candidate, General Buhari in shunning the committee, saying, "It came to us as a shock, because it is a party committee and it is for reconciliation. This is not a slight to the committee, but to the Other recommendations of the Tofa's committee include that the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party should be dissolved as its composition did not represent the wishes of members.
"The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party should pass a vote to dissolve the current BoT and replace it with competent members.
The committee called for a new party membership card as it is not proper that the current membership card is signed by Chief Don Etiebet as chairman, now a member of PDP
The membership of the committee consist of Tofa as chairman, Chief Emma Enuukwu as secretary/member, other members of the committee include Barrister Fugbara Ayigba, Chief Bisi Lawal and Chief Emma Uroh.
It is gathered that the committee's report is the main item for the next week NEC meeting of the party.
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