Tinubu reunites CPC factions

The National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday said the merger of four political parties is in the interest of the nation and not any individual.

He also said that although there are moves to frustrate the merger by political rivals, there is no going back .

Tinubu, who spoke with reporters at Arewa Suites after a meeting with the Sen. Rufai Hanga faction of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) yesterday in Abuja , said all those involved in the merger were ready to make necessary sacrifices.

The meeting, The Nation gathered, was at the instance of the ACN leader, who met with his CPC counterpart, General Muhammadu Buhari, to seek his nod to reconcile the factions in CPC.

It was gathered that the mediation became necessary after a letter from the Senator Rufai Hanga-led group, which notified the merging team of the party’s case that is still pending in court.

The Rufai Hanga faction also told the merger leaders that it is the authentic group, which is in possession of the CPC certificate of registration.

CPC, ANPP, ACN and APGA merged last Thursday to form the APC after a long merger talk.

But Rufai Hanga’s faction, which has a pending case in court, posed a threat to the merger.

Tinubu decided to resolve the leadership crisis in CPC to prevent rival political parties from capitalising on it to scuttle the merger.

The former Governor of Lagos State succeeded in prevailing on Hanga’s faction to bury the hatchet.

Tinubu told reporters that there is no cause for alarm on the merger.

He said: “The meeting was a very good one; sweet. We met in the interest of our various objectives. To me, I am working in the interest of Nigeria and APC. I am a committed individual; we are in a committed group, surrounded by people of vision and great commitment. It will succeed; our rivals do everything to scuttle us.

“But as committed people, we are ready to make sacrifices. Leadership is about carrying people along and resolving conflicts with the right people that are motivated to do those things that are necessary for the progress of a nation. These are the things that we have achieved here today at this meeting.”

Asked if the merger will succeed, Tinubu said he was very optimistic that it will.

He added: “It will succeed. Our rivals will not want it to succeed, they do everything; that is part of the political intrigues and environment particularly in Africa, but we’ll work hard at it in the interest of this country.”

Hanga said his faction was committed to the merger and would do everything to ensure its success in the interest of the country.

He said:” We are determined to have a change; we have discussed and we will have to consult our people in order to forge ahead. We understand that we have to do it for Nigerians.

“We are part of the APC. We are in court challenging the status of the CPC leadership, but with this merger, there would not be anything like CPC leadership or that of any other party that belongs to the merger.

“I am not after clinging to the position of chairman; what we want is to declare them as illegal, but with the proposed merger and our meeting today with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, a new leadership that can take us to the Promised Land is coming up.

“We are ready to do anything that will make the merger possible. For Nigeria , for the masses and the downtrodden, we are ready to withdraw the case and release the certificate of registration to make the merger possible.

“For Nigerians, for the masses, for the downtrodden and for what we are suffering now, I am ready to do anything.”

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