Insinuations that Vice President, Namadi Sambo is working at cross purpose to derail the participation of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the merger of opposition political parties that gave birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC) may be untrue but there are indications that the presidency is not resting on its oars following the emergence of a consolidated rival party.

A source in the presidency told our correspondent that the Vice President is not working deliberately to undermine the merger but what he is doing is to ensure that the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) does not lose its control of the political landscape to any other party that is coming on-board now or in the future.

This revelation is coming as President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday publicly gave kudos to Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) for finding time, and eschewing partisan politics, to attend the flag off of the nation's centenary celebration held last Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.