Politics
2015: After Opposition Merger, What Next?
At last, after months
of intense negotiations, four opposition political parties last Wednesday resolved to float a new political party. They called it “All Progressive Congress” (APC). It is on this platform they hope to pursue their avowed determination to wrest power from the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general election.
The four parties that make up APC are the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
A statement read by Chief Tom Ikimi of the ACN to newsmen after the merger said “At no time in our (Nigeria’s) national life has radical change become more urgent. And to meet the challenge of that change, we the following progressive political parties namely ACN, ANPP, APGA and CPC have resolved to merge forthwith and become All Progressives Congress, APC, and offer to our beleaguered people a recipe for peace and prosperity.
“We resolve to form a political party committed to the principles of internal democracy focused on serious issues of concern to our people, determined to bring corruption and insecurity to an end, determined to grow our economy and create jobs in their millions through education, housing, agriculture, industrial growth and stop the increasing despair and hopelessness among our people”.
On Tuesday, preceding Wednesday’s declaration of the merger, ten opposition Governors were hosted by Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fasola. It was a meeting in which all the t’s and i’s of the merger were crossed and dotted.
After the meeting, while responding to a question on whether the merger talk is about unseating the PDP, the Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulazziz Abubakar Yari said it is about how to “fix Nigeria in the right perspectives”.
According to him, it is a question of asking if the people have been happy since 1999 till date when the PDP has been in power. “If the contrary has been the case then the leaders are duty bound to drive the people aright.
“We believe that the PDP has not done enough. We have the idea, the knowledge and the progressive intention to move the country forward. So, if you say that we are going to move PDP out of power, yes we are ready to do that, God willing”, Governor Yari said.
Expectedly, this merger did not come on a platter of gold; it had gone through lots of criticisms and counter criticisms, accusations and counter accusations, particularly, given the benefit of hindsight of previous mergers.
It had, in fact, as in the case of iron, gone through the raging furnace, which must have made it real, feasible and achievable, at least from the perspective of the pioneers.
From all indications, the opposition seems to have been guided by the words of the great inspirational writer, Napoleon Hill, when the said “You are the master of your destiny. You can influence, direct and control your own environment. You can make your life what you want it to be”.
This feeling was perhaps also re-enforced by one of the great speeches of former United States President, Abraham Lincoln, who noted that “The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just”.
The opposition has so far justified its quest for power with one key promise: to wrest power from the PDP for the interest of the country, a phrase that has become sine qua non with every aspirant to the Presidency.
Now that the merger has come to fruition, supported by the Independent Electoral Commission, what is the next step? What is the new thing the opposition has that the rest of the country has not seen or heard? What are those things they have to offer that would, with reasonable effort, better the life of the common man?
Most of all, how do they hope to change Nigeria to the point that every law abiding citizen will have his/her due in whatever way you look at it, different from the now hackneyed “when we come on board”, which now means “when it is my turn to take my share”. This is the crux of the matter.
The questions that readily come to mind are “how have these opposition parties fared in their states”? Can they genuinely say they had fared better than the party they oppose?
The challenge is also on the ruling PDP. In the words of party’s national chairman, Dr. Bamanga Tukur, “the idea of a strong opposition party is a welcome idea to PDP as it would serve as a call to action”. The question is, to what positive extent can this be true?
The reality is that promises of such Eldorado are obviously not new to keen observers of what could easily be described as the Nigerian melodrama, in which key actors in governance are guided more by selfish than common interest in most of their decisions. The result of which is why the country’s development had been somewhat of a highly boring merry-go-round.
The reason for this situation may not be far from the possibility that those who aspire to rule are guided more by what Martin Luther King Jr meant when he said “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but because conscience tells him it is right”. They seem to apply this principle without adapting it to the Nigerian stage.
Aspirants do not also seem it necessary to reason like Cyrus the Great, who said “All men have their frailties; and whoever looks for a friend without imperfections, will never find what he seeks”.
Above all, what can we, both individually and as a country, achieve if we do not imbibe the words of the great mahatma Ghandi, who expressed the belief that “Where there is love, there is life”.
It, therefore, may not really make any difference whether the opposition wins the presidency or not in 2015 if they cannot make similar difference where they currently find themselves.
Claiming that elections in the country are typically characterized by vote buying, Mr Nwosu said a repeat of such phenomenon would taint the credibility of the forthcoming gubernatorial poll.
Mr Nwosu is among the 16 governorship candidates listed by INEC in a June 4, 2025 statement to participate in the November 8, 2025 election in Anambra State.
His party, the ADC, will battle it out with other parties to unseat incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Mr Nwosu, in a statement on Saturday, said it was baffling seeing voters openly selling their votes to party agents and other representatives around polling units on election day.
According to him, “such practices not only derail the true will of the people but also reduce elections to an auction, where the state is effectively handed over to the highest bidder.”
Mr Nwosu urged INEC to introduce secure voting cubicles that would safeguard the legitimate rights of voters and uphold the sovereignty of democracy.
“INEC must provide secure voting cubicles to ensure ballots remain private and secret. Currently, many polling areas are too exposed, allowing others to see the voting process. This not only encourages vote buying but also undermines the integrity of the elections.
“Voting must remain secret. Nigeria already has strong electoral laws which, if properly enforced, can deliver outcomes that truly benefit society”, Mr Nwosu said.
He held that the Anambra governorship election was another opportunity for INEC to secure the trust of Nigerians about its commitment to transparency and fairness during polls.
He also noted the role of security agencies in tackling the menace of vote buying on the day of election.
He said, “The success of any political activity depends largely on security, because security is key. While it is not solely INEC’s duty to ensure elections are properly conducted, the Commission must create an enabling environment that allows citizens to participate freely, conduct themselves properly, and exercise their right to vote.”
The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, called on the relevant security agencies to investigate the attackers and their sponsors.
“The Labour Party is perplexed by the physical attack on our National Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure, by agents suspected to be working for anti-democratic elements who have tried unsuccessfully to wrestle the leadership of the party from him.
“Few hours ago, a prominent member of a known political family, Ms Precious Oruche, alias ‘Mama P’, accosted Barrister Abure while on a queue at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja, boarding a Max Air flight en route to Benin, and attacked the Labour Party’s National Chairman unprovoked.
“The attacker, Madam P, who is also a known content creator, continued the attack all through the duration of the flight, defying all attempts by the Max Air flight attendants to calm her.
“The assault, which attracted a large population of onlookers, continued unabated on disembarkment at the Benin Airport while she continued recording the scene.
“It took the intervention of the security agents on hand to whisk Abure to safety while the attacker was handed over to the police for questioning.
“In one of her films released, the lady, who is a prominent member of the ‘Obidient’ and claimed that she has contacts with the highest police hierarchy, boasted that nothing will happen to her.
“She vowed that she will not stop attacking Abure or any member of the Labour Party executive because, according to her, ‘you have killed Labour Party and you are the reason why Obi is no longer in the Labour Party.’
“The leadership of the Labour Party is completely troubled with this cyber-bullying and the consequences of the action of this political agent on the party. We are by this statement calling on the Inspector General of Police to thoroughly investigate this suicidal aggression against the leadership of the Labour Party and Barrister Julius Abure in particular.
“We sincerely believe that the lady-agent was on an assignment to accomplish the desires of her paymasters. Assault and cyber-bullying are severe crimes under our laws and we think that the Police must fish out her sponsors and cohorts, and bring them to book.
“We are calling on the members of the Labour Party to be calm, even in the face of this unwarranted provocation and wait for the outcome of the investigation on the unprovoked attack against the leadership of the party,” the statement read.
Speaking during the party’s congress in Yola, the state capital, on Saturday, Mr David Lorhenba, the chairman, Adamawa Congress Committee, described the exercise as hitch-free.
He said that a total of 2,656 delegates from 21 local government areas came out and elected 39 officials.
Mr Lorhenba commended the delegates for conducting themselves in an orderly manner.
“The conduct of the congress is very successful, all the delegates come from 21 Local Government Areas and cast their votes peacefully.
“We have a total of 2,656 delegates and we have announced the winners very successfully”, he said.
In his remarks, Alhaji Attahiru Shehu, the outgoing chairman, congratulated the new executives and charged them to continue on what they have already done for the party to remain strong.
According to him, they started as opposition in the state and produced Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri who is serving his second term, opining they “he has done well for the state.”
In his acceptance speech, Mr Madagali thanked the delegates for the confidence they reposed in him.
He promised to run an open door policy in manning the affairs of the party.
“Let us continue the legacy of good governance and prepare ahead for 2027 with focus, discipline and unity.
“To those outside our party, especially the youths and women of Adamawa, we invite you into our party.
“PDP is your home. Our doors are open to all who wish to contribute positively to the development of our state.
“Our party will continue to be a shining example of people-focused on leadership,” he said.
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