By Chidiebere Onyemaizu
The African Democratic Congress, ADC as a party will after all not enjoy the fruit of endorsement by Nigeria’s former leader, Olusegun Obasanjo in the mould of massive movement to its fold by disechanted politicians from other parties, particularly APC and PDP.
Far from being the new “beautiful bride” in the country’s party politics following its adoption by former President Obasanjo’s Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM), it has emerged that ADC, one of Nigeria’s fringe political parties will merely serve as a negotiating tool for the Obasanjo’s group in a further effort to birth an unprecedented grand coalition of parties that will eventually metamorphose into a mega party with 2019 presidential election and defeat of President Muhammadu Buhari as targets.
Credible sources told the Magazine that having publicly announced his exit from the PDP and retirement from partisan politics, the former president is avoiding direct interface with his former party which as a former ruling party and now the biggest opposition party, it has been agreed by coalition stakeholders, has a nationwide following, solid structure and reach to drive assemblage of forces against the APC.
However, the former President will continue to work behind the scene, leaving the ADC to engage in open interface with other parties, particularly with the PDP.
It has been gathered that so far, the PDP, Social Democratic Party,SDP, Labour Party and dozens of other parties are enthusiastic about the coalition and subsequent merger. However, All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, with South east and as a foothold and stronghold is said to be undecided. APGA evokes certain sentiment and emotion among many in the region, even among non- APGA members, especially when the name of late leader of the defunct Republic of Biafra and party’s National leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu is weaved around it (APGA) hence APGA leaders are said to wary of the party losing its pro- South east identify.
The party leaders are reportedly insisting that APGA will go into a coalition and merger only if it is guaranteed that the South east will play a commanding role in such arrangement and allotted prime political offices in the subsequent zoning arrangement.
To ensure that the coalition, within the shortest possible time seamlessly take off the ground and coalesce into a mega party without any bickering within its fold, in view of the nearness of the 2019 Presidential election, party insiders hint that the PDP, as the chief driver of the project, has agreed to shed its current brand. A new name, motto and symbol, the Magazine gathered, are in the offing and will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
For example, The Source was informed that in the place of “ Power to the People”, the new Motto will likely be “Power to Nigerians”. The umbrella symbol may likely give way to a house or both combined but with a picture of people in the house and under the umbrella to depict the rebranded party as true home to, and shelter for Nigerians from diverse ethnic, cultural and religious stock.
Meanwhile, not less than 10 governors, 35 Senators and 150 House of Reps. members, mostly former PDP members but now in the APC, are reportedly waiting in the wings to defect to the rebranded PDP and by extension to the soon to be born mega party.
Having called the PDP unprintable names before jumping ship, many of the intending returnees, it has been learnt, have made it clear to the erstwhile ruling party that their political careers will be in jeopardy and integrity in tatters if they return to the PDP in its present form.
