We’re Not APC’s Appendage, Says NNPP National Chair

*Explains why merger talks with Obi collapsed

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

National chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Prof. Alkali Rufai, has called on the All Progressives Congress (APC)  members within the North West geopolitical zone to stop campaigning that the NNPP was an appendage of the APC.

Alkali, who further berated the APC, however, called on the ruling party to account for mismanaging the economy and security in Nigeria in the last seven years than seeking a fresh presidential mandate.

Explaining why the merger talks between the NNPP and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi collapsed, Alkali, who was National Publicity Secretary of the PDP at a time, said it was awful for APC members to engage in a deceitful campaigns by telling the people that the NNPC was an appendage of the APC.

Wondering why  the gullible electorate would be deceived by the APC, which claimed that the NNPP was the same thing with ruling party, Alkali said, “We are distinct from the APC; we represent a new Nigeria. Why should the APC members, who are contesting for the same election, deceitfully claim that we are an appendage of the APC.

“You know why they have nothing to campaign with with? The APC should campaign and tell Nigerians how their administration have led to the collapse of the Nigerian economy; how they have brought massive insecurity in the country.”
On why the merger talks between Obi and the NNPP collapsed, he said, “The technical team was supposed to discuss and agree on certain things before the parties will step in to formalise the agreement, but immediately talks started, they went public on the social media to talk about merger. We know that what was possible at that time was only alliance.

“We never said anything. But they were all over the media. They had only one agenda, which was to have the Presidency and to get our leader to step down. So, nothing else was discussed. Who will benefit from such an arrangement? What will be the benefits?
“Some of them said, yes we know that Kwankwaso is popular and has followers and wide support, but it is the turn of the South east. When the process was stalled, they are the ones that went to town again to announce that the process had deadlocked. We did not say anything, because we believe that when a process is stalled, it can still resume.”

Also discussing why a former governor Kano State, Senator Shekarau left  the NNPP,  he said, “We will not comment on Shekarau’s exit, but only to say that the NNPP, has moved on. Our aim and objective is to move Nigeria forward and build bridges”

The NNPP national chairman dwelt on the ongoing meetings between some presidential candidates in and outside Nigeria, and said, “What is happening now is power show. It is my turn, no policies, but pecuniary interest without the welfare of Nigerians in mind. It is all selfishness.

He said that much as there is zoning in Nigeria, that it must be on the six geopolitical zones of the country, where any one out of the six geopolitical zone can contest within the dictates of democracy, noting that in a democracy, every position is out for open contest and one is reserved for zone; any group has right and is entitled to contest as long he or she is a Nigerian.

He said the only thing at stake is for  the person to  address security and economical issues, saying, “We have to move away from primordial sentiments.”