2023: We’re in Alliance, Merger Discussion with NCFront, Rescue Nigeria Movement, Says PRP

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has revealed that it is in talks with the National Consultation Front (NCFront) that is led by Professor Pat Utomi, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ghali Na’Abba and others and the Rescue Nigeria Movement to form an alliance or merge ahead of the 2023 elections.

The National Chairman of the PRP, Mr. Bello Falalu, made this known at the weekend in Abuja after the National Working Committee (NWC), Board of Trustees (BoT) and the stakeholder’s meeting of the party.

Falalu said:  “We have given a briefing of the happenings in the party in the last two and half years. We have said where the party is. For example, I can’t tell you today ladies and gentlemen that PRP has leadership in place in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“In addition, we are today present In 774 local governments. This we have done in the last nine months in terms of congresses and we are now ready to move to the last level of leadership of the party, which is the national convention.”

He noted that the leadership of the party would also look at what it would take to have a national convention, and arrange for one to be held shortly.

Falalu added: “One other thing that has featured prominently in the course of this deliberation is the invitation extended to the party to merge and form alliances.

“We are in discussion with some groups; NCFront for example and Rescue Nigeria Mission. These are two movements that are created – aimed at challenging the misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria.”

He said quite a number of these parties believed that it was necessary to form a national government in 2023.

Falalu said: “We have a paper from Professor Attaihiru Jega on mergers and alliances. It was discussed exhaustively and we have agreed on what we are going to do.”

He assured that the party would contest the 2023 presidential election, adding that already some aspirants have expressed their desire to contest under the party.

He also said the party has not zoned its ticket to any part of the country, stressing that anybody from anywhere is free to contest on the platform of the party.

“Have we zoned the presidency to any part of Nigeria? The answer is No! Anybody from anywhere in Nigeria is free to come and contest for the presidential seat in PRP. Already, one of the aspirants is from Edo State. There is another retired military officer who says he’s from North-central and wanted to contest and we said he’s welcome,” the chairman noted.

Falalu said no Nigerian would be shut out from contesting the presidential ticket in the party.

According to him, “what is important to us is who that person is. He must be somebody who has integrity, whether male or female; not necessarily someone who is rich.  The criteria for us are not to put up somebody as a presidential aspirant just because he is rich or he has godfathers or he has sponsors. We will develop a template for the selection of leadership in Nigeria and that template will cover the presidency, governors, and members of the National Assembly.