FCT Minister says APC Dead On Arrival, calls new Party a Still Birth

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed has said that the newly formed mega opposition party, All Progressive Congress (APC) is dead on arrival, insisting that its emergence is not a threat to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mohammed, who stated this while responding to questions from journalists at Kuja area council, after the flag-off of the PDP campaign for the March 16 area council election in Abuja, also described APC as “a still birth and nothing more than a liability for those who formed it,” saying the new party, which in his words, “has no head, legs or senses” would be buried on March 16 when the elections are conducted.

“I don’t underrate my own opposition or those I’m going to contest against because this election is between me and the so-called APC. I believe from today and March 16 you are going to see how we are going to bury that so-called still born baby that has no leg, no eyes and no sense. It’s just a vegetable and therefore it is a political liability to the opposition,” he said.

http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/48166/2013/02/20/apc_dead_arrival_fct_minister.html

Chief Supo Shonibare is a chieftain of the Yoruba Pan socio-political group, Afenifere. He played a major role in the efforts by a number of political parties to form a mega party towards the 2011 general elections. That effort did not yield much, as the Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP), which came out of it did not fly. In this interview with ABIODUN FANORO, he speaks on the proposed mergers by major opposition political parties, and what they must do to succeed.

How do you see plans by a number of frontline opposition parties to float a mega party?

IT is good for democracy, for groups with a common ideological pursuit and identical policies to come together under a larger umbrella in order to present an alternative form of governance or an alternative policy to the Nigerian people, as against the predatory administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The PDP itself is a conglomeration of businessmen and predatory politicians.

The present arrangement, where political parties are being merged and the merger is presented to Nigerians as a viable alternative to the PDP, in my mind, is a ruse and attempt to fool the people twice. I’m not so sure this attempt to bring everybody who is not PDP on board, in order to present an alternative to the Nigerian people, is the right solution that would lead the country away from the imminent disaster it is currently heading to.

I don’t think that this arrangement being put together, where all politicians including the wolves, are being put together, could deliver to Nigerians a truly principled and honest government they are hungry for.

Truly, the people are yearning for a change, but many of those seen in this arrangement are certainly birds of the same feather with those in the PDP.

Those on the merger say they are progressives, then, I think there is the need to differentiate between progressives and social democrats.

Late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Aminu Kano were social democrats. Some people who intend to maintain the status quo now begin to think along the line of liberal conservatism and are now describing themselves as progressives. That is why you find a fluid movement between the PDP and some members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). I think we should distinguish between those who are left of conservatism, who formed a chunk in PDP and the ACN, and those who are truly social democrats.