Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
National leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and members of the new PDP (nPDP) will meet later, on Monday, in a last minute effort to contain agitation from the nPDP.
Former Acting chairman of nPDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, who made this known, in an interview with the newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Monday, said the meeting was slated for 2.00p.m.
Baraje, who decried the high rate of internal conflicts within the ruling APC, which has culminated in parallel state congresses in about 21 states, said the nPDP’s recent letter to the leadership of the APC was to forestall such occurrences.
While pointing out that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) never had such internal wrangling as is today prevalent in the APC, Baraje warned that if the APC failed to heed the request of the nPDP, then its forthcoming national convention might become an avenue to wash its dirty linens openly.
He expressed concern over the path being treaded by leaders of the APC, lamenting that what members of the nPDP are witnessing in the APC are worse than what they experienced in the PDP.
He said the nPDP was made up of men and women who cannot be pushed aside and referred to the resignation of the group’s secretary and former governor of Osun state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as signal to what may happen if members are not able to convince their followers about the need to remain in the APC.
But he said nPDP members would not immediately pull out of the APC if the party fails to meet their demands, saying like they did in the last administration they would still go ahead and meet with several leaders across the country to stop what he termed as impunity within the party.
He added, “The last time we met here( Baraje’s house) in 2016 I told you that the way the party was going on we were on the road to perdition.
“if you look at the letter we wrote we never said we gave ultimatum but that we advised them; we hinted the party because of the ongoing primaries of the party. Now the party has invited us, exactly on the seventh day of the letter and they wanted us to meet that same day but because we were speaking for several leaders across the country we told them we couldn’t meet that same day so now they have scheduled a meeting for tomorrow (Monday) anytime from 2:00p.m.”
He dismissed the opposition of the group, led by Sen. Abdullahi Adamu to the petition by the nPDP, saying the nPDP was such a large group that it cannot but have some black legs.
“We have travelled a long way with the APC and now we are seeing things worse in APC than in PDP. If we are leaders worth the name we should be bold enough to speak about it”, he said.