The Peoples Democratic Party has said it will not merge with any political party or group in the build-up to the 2015 general elections.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Olisa Metuh, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the party was ready to accept the members of the recently deregistered parties as individuals, but not as parties.
He said, “We can accept as individuals but not as parties. PDP cannot merge with any other party. Our constitution does not give room for the PDP to merge with any other party. So, any of the deregistered parties or any other party that is interested in joining PDP will be welcomed, but our party will not be involved in any merger,” he said.
Metuh's assertion was in line with PDP's view on the planned merger of opposition parties in the country.
Despite, losing the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states to the Action Congress of Nigeria and the Labour Party respectively, the national leadership of the PDP had at different times said it was not bothered by the planned merger of some leading opposition political parties.
The National Secretary of the PDP, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, said the mergers and alliances planned to defeat the party in 2015 would fail.
“Honestly speaking, ganging up is an indication of some weaknesses. Why can't a party stand on its own and contest elections if it is sure that it would be acceptable to the people? You don't need to gang up. It has never succeeded; it will not succeed,” he said.
However, the merger talks among leading opposition parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change and the All Nigeria Peoples Party which had reached an advanced stage, was expected to result in a new party in 2013.
The merger is aimed at launching a formidable challenge against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 general elections.
The three opposition parties had told SUNDAY PUNCH last week that they were ready to include the deregistered parties in their merger plans.
Some of the 28 deregistered parties told our correspondent that they had resolved to join bigger parties, while others had insisted on challenging the deregistration exercise in court.
They insisted that the Independent Aviation Electoral Commission lacked the constitutional right to delist them.
