There were strong indications in Abuja on Tuesday that the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Congress for Progressive Change might fail to reach an agreement on their alliance over the presidential poll.
Investigations by our correspondent in Abuja showed that the two opposition parties at a meeting in Abuja on Tuesday reviewed the results of the National Assembly polls and explored the possibilities of forming an alliance to confront the PDP at the presidential polls.
It was gathered that the ACN argued that based on its performance at the National Assembly polls, its candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, should be fielded as the joint presidential candidate of both parties.
But it was learnt that the CPC insisted that it was still premature to pick a joint candidate, adding that both parties should test their strength at Saturday’s presidential poll.
As the parties held their alliance talks, the Northern Political Leaders’ Forum on Tuesday met with Ribadu and his counterpart for the CPC, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)
The two parties had since November last year begun talks aimed at fielding a joint candidate at the presidential election.
The talks, however, suffered a setback in January, when the two parties held separate presidential primaries.
Tuesday’s meeting, our correspondent learnt, was a follow-up to the earlier one held in Lagos.
The two parties also had held their National Executive Council meetings, in Abuja on Monday night where the alliance was discussed.
Investigations showed that the positions of both parties at Tuesday’s meeting were arrived at during their separate NEC meetings.
Besides the CPC and the ACN alliance talks, our correspondents gathered that the NPLF on Tuesday started pressuring Ribadu to step down. The action, it was gathered, was to enable the ACN and the CPC to forge a partnership towards the Saturday’s presidential election.
Our correspondent learnt that this was part of the agreements reached at the series of meetings which took place between Monday night and Tuesday in Abuja.
The first meeting was between Buhari and the former military president, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida; former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar; former Inspector General of Police, Alhaji M.D. Yusuf, former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau and the former minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma.
The outcome of the meeting was said to have necessitated another round of meeting between the national caucus of the ACN and Buhari.
Sources at the meeting said there was likelihood of a working relationship between Buhari and the leadership of the ACN.
It was leant that part of the issues being raised was that since Ribadu is still young, he should allow Buhari to flag the flag of the expected collaboration on Saturday.
The source said that if the working relationship works out, then both the ANC and the CPC leadership would address a press conference latest by Thursday announcing their working relationship.
But it was, however, gathered that both parties could not reach an agreement on the collaboration.
Meanwhile, the PDP on Tuesday expressed confidence that it would win Saturday’s presidential election. It therefore advised opposition parties to perish the thought of a run-off.
The Director of Media and Publicity, PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Mallam Aba Dabo, told THE PUNCH in Abuja, that President Goodluck Jonathan would win the election overwhelmingly.
Dabo was reacting to the planned ACN-CPC alliance for the presidential poll.
He said that the PDP, having assessed the results of the National Assembly elections, had no doubt that it was the most acceptable party in the country.
But the CPC and the ACN said that it was still premature for the PDP to celebrate.
Mr. Yinka Odumakin, the spokesman of the CPC Presidential candidate, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said they were not discouraged by the results of the National Assembly elections.
Odumakin, who alleged that the PDP carried “out scientific rigging” during the elections, stated that in some rural areas, result figures were inflated to favour the PDP.
On Buhari’s preparation for the poll, he said, “He is not discouraged by the results of the National Assembly elections. He has travelled this road before. He knows what the PDP is capable of doing. His eyes are on the prize.”
The ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, who also assessed the result of the National Assembly elections, said that it was not yet time for self-praise.
Both men were, however, silent on the fresh alliance talks between their parties.
Out of the 91 senatorial election results officially declared by INEC so far, the PDP has won 59; ACN, 14; and the CPC six. The All Nigeria Peoples Party has seven seats.
For the House of Representatives election, the PDP has won 140 out of 263 results released so far. ACN and CPC have 52 and 35 respectively.
Dabo, in an interview with one of our correspondents said, “The overwhelming performance of the PDP in the election is a confirmation of the PDP’s widespread acceptance by majority of Nigerians.
“This result has vindicated our position all along that the PDP is the only truly national political party from which all Nigerians can realise their political ambitions.
“There is no second ballot in this situation. Those who are thinking of it should perish the thought. We have the requirement for the spread. The requirement for the majority votes is assured.”
Dabo said the PDP was not threatened by the planned alliance between the CPC and the ACN.
Citing the results of the National Assembly elections, he stated,“They do not have the number and the spread to threaten us.”
He described the losses recorded by the party in the National Assembly polls as “a beauty of democracy.”
Dabo, however, said that the PDP did not perform badly in any part of the country. “In Ogun State for example, if you add the figures of the Peoples Party of Nigeria and the PDP, you will see that we are in the majority.”
Earlier, the Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, had said on Tuesday that he was optimistic that Jonathan would secure a landslide victory during the presidential election.
“I think the President will win in the first ballot with a very clear win. Those who are hoping for a runoff will be thoroughly disappointed,” he said.
The senator noted that despite the incursions made by opposition parties into PDP strongholds, the ruling party would still constitute a comfortable majority in the next National Assembly.
Ndoma-Egba said, “The new National Assembly members will look more authentic. These elected will be looked with a little more respect because the people truly believe that they have earned their mandate.
“Now, when you have an authentic mandate you also have greater authority because you will be speaking with more political and moral authority. So, I foresee urgency in addressing the problems of the society with this development.
“The PDP will still hold a substantial majority in the National Assembly, but we are going to have more colours because we are going to see the presence of new parties CPC, DPP, APGA and others. That on its own will impact on our own internal politics. It means we have to form alliances within the National Assembly.”
The ACN and the CPC were said to have continued the alliance talks as at 10pm on Tuesday.
By Niyi Odebode, Olusola Fabiyi and Mudiaga Affe Courtesy Of: Punch
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