The newly formed All Progressives Congress may have his ranks swelled and popularity boosted considering the speculations that 12 governors who are members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party may join the nascent party.
Investigations show that the governors have been making active plans on how to join the new party, including holding talks with its leaders of the APC, which was formed by the merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria, All Nigeria Peoples Party, All Progressive Grand Alliance and Congress for Progressive Change.
It was gathered also that some other minor political parties have been discussing with the new party.
Sources close to the PDP say that the party is already feeling discomfort over the possibility that its governors and legislators could leave the party.
A member of the National Working Committee of the party, who spoke anonymously, said the leadership of the party and the Presidency was jittery that the governors would abandon the fold of the umbrella, the symbol of the party.
He said despite the fact that the party was putting up a show of “we don’t care”, behind it, there was a lot of fear as the party was afraid that the current crisis rocking it could consume it and make it a minority party in the future.
“The party’s leadership is afraid. I must tell you. We are not convenient at all because the formation of the party is coming at a time we are having problems in our party.
“Don’t forget that the NWC is divided. The governors are angry. We cannot hold National Executive Committee meeting. We are even finding it difficult to elect the chairman of our Board of Trustees.
“We are also having financial problems in the party as the governors have refused to fund us the way they used to do before the crisis started.
“So, if anyone is telling you that we are at peace and are not worried as a result of the formation of the party, such a person is being economical with the truth,” he said.
The source added that while the party members in the Senate were not a cause of concern, the same could not be said of the House of Representatives.
“We know that the opposition is in control of the House, because though the Speaker, Mallam Aminu Tambuwal belongs to our party, he is more popular among the opposition political parties,” the NWC member said regrettably.
It is speculated that four governors from the North-West, three from the North-East, two from the South-South and three from the North-Central could leave the party.
It is gathered that these governors, especially the Northern ones, would decamp if it becomes clear President Goodluck Jonathan would run for a second term.
“His second term ambition, if he declares it, will quicken the death of this party,” a source close to the party said.
In his reaction to the development, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Chief Olisa Metuh said that there was no truth in the speculations.
He said he was confident that none of the governors would decamp from the ruling party to join with an uncertain future.
“Definitely, such will never happen. We are not afraid of the newly formed party. Our governors are too committed to the PDP to join the APC.
“You cannot leave the ruling party to join an opposition party, whose future you cannot even tell. It has never happened in the history of this democracy for the PDP to lose any of its governors to the opposition.
“Yes, it is agreed that the party is having some challenges, but we are managing the situation. When other parties had challenges, we knew how they handled them.
“We are therefore not afraid that some of our governors could leave the PDP and join the APC,” he said.
On his own part, the spokesperson for the CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, told our correspondent that the APC would gladly welcome the PDP governors, adding that it was high time the governors abandoned what he called the “torn umbrella, which can no longer stop the rain.”
Fashakin said, “It is not impossible for the governors to join us. The governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, just said today (Thursday) that Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) remains his leader and that he is happy at the birth of APC.
“APC is a success story that has come to stay. The governor also added that the formation of the new party would stop all riff-raffs from contesting the presidency.
“So, even if all the governors of the PDP want to come, they are welcome. APC is a party with large heart.”