Former leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013 have written to the national chairman of the ruling party to demand an urgent meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari “within seven days”.
Although the aggrieved members did not state their next line of action, insinuations from some quarters have suggested that they may pull out of the party which is already bedevilled by crisis following rancorous congresses nationwide last weekend.
The bloc, known then as the new PDP (nPDP), helped in dislodging the PDP from its 16-year rule in the 2015 general election.
They teamed up with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), to form APC.
However, in a letter signed by Abubakar Kawu Baraje, former national chairman of nPDP and Olagunsoye Oyinlola, its former national secretary, and presented to John Odigie-Oyegun on Wednesday afternoon, the group listed several grievances and demanded an emergency meeting with the President.
They complained that despite the huge role and sacrifices they played in bringing APC to power in 2015, they have been neglected in the scheme of things by the administration.
Some of the grievances listed by nPDP are that:
No member was appointed into the federal executive council, expect one who did not deliver his state in 2015 (an obvious reference to Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers and minister of transportation)
No “significant patronage” and appointments to executive positions in various government agencies.
When members showed interest in running for the offices of senate president and speaker, they were opposed by the APC hierarchy.
It could not be confirmed when the seven days would start counting but the letter was dated May 7, 2018 — a day before Buhari travelled to the UK for medicals.
It is also not clear if his absence would affect the treatment of the letter. The president is expected back in the country at the weekend.
