The Democratic People’s Party (DPP) has disassociated itself from Coalition for a New Nigeria (CNN), saying it was not part of 30 political parties reportedly involved in the group.
National Chairman of the party, Mr Gershom Benson, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja that leadership of the party was shocked to know that it was listed among stakeholders in the coalition.
“We are surprised and embarrassed to read in the dailies of Thursday that DPP was among 30 political parties that want to form CNN.
“We are never part of it. Nobody discussed it with us; we did not attend any meeting where it was discuss and we did not attend any of the briefings.
“If they don’t have members, they should not be deceiving Nigerians that they are forming a coalition to force parties names into whatever they are doing. It is very wrong.
“We disassociate ourselves from that publication. We are not part of CNN and we cannot be part of CNN,’’ he said.
National Chairman of Labour Party, AbdulKarim Abdulsalam, had at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja, announced that 30 opposition parties, including DPP, had agreed to form CNN.
Benson said that if DPP wanted to be part of any coalition, it would follow known procedures.
“If my party wants to join, there are procedures to it. The NEC will meet and take a decision before we can be part of any body at all.
“We want to categorically disassociate ourselves from that group. We are not part of it and we cannot be part of it.
“No member of my party executive attended that meeting. I have been in Abuja for more than one week and I was not there.
“If we are going to join any coalition at all, the party will to take appropriate decision but for now we are not in anyone.’’
The chairman said that he had already reached out to some of those who attended the meeting, and disclosed that they were apologetic “but that was not enough.’’
He stated that DPP would write the leadership of the coalition to demand apology for using its name in a decision it was not involved in.
Benson said that DPP was seriously preparing for 2019 general elections, and that the party was already mobilising supporters ahead of the elections.
“We are selling our manifesto to Nigerians. We are telling Nigerians what we are going to do for them.
“We are not only mobilising those who are going to vote for us, we are equally sensitising Nigerians to the importance of coming out enmasse to vote for candidates of their choice in the elections,’’ he said. (NAN)