Update: ACN, CPC, ANPP Fix Merger Date to Defeat The PDP

 

The three leading opposition political parties in Nigeria have intensified talks among them with the aim of merging into one strong party that will dislodge the ruling PDP in 2015.

The parties have decided to settle their "issues" early in order to address the problems that stalled the process in the past. They are also determined to beat INEC's deadline for merger of political parties.



The parties have agreed on the need to unite against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 elections. Investigations showed that the ACN, CPC and ANPP actually began the merger talks three months after the 2011 general elections.

Under the 2011 Electoral Act, the commission cannot allow any merger of political parties less than 90 days to the general elections.

Section 84 (6) of the Act states, “Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, no merger of political parties received by the commission less than 90 days before any general election in the country shall be considered by the commission.”

Section 84 (2) of the Act states, “Political parties intending to merge shall each give to the commission 90 days notice of their intention to do so before a general election.”

As part of efforts to beat the deadline, the parties have been holding a series of meetings across the country. The meetings, it was gathered, were aimed at adopting a common name and mobilising support for the new party all over the country.

A top member of one of the parties said that they were aware of the antics of the PDP, which he alleged, scuttled such merger talks in the past through the moles it planted in the parties.

He allayed fears that the talks would not bear any good fruit because the parties might disagree over the sharing of political offices. “What is uppermost in our minds is how to rescue the country from this misrule of the PDP. Nobody is talking about how to share political offices now,” he said.

The three parties are now keeping their agenda on the merger secret because of the fear that the ruling party would sabotage it.

A credible source in the opposition who spoke with Olufamous.com said the merger will be complete in the first quarter of 2014 and assured that Nigerians will be given a viable option to kick the PDP out of power once and for all.