Ahead 2023, PRP in merger, alliance talk with groups – National Chairman

Tunde Opalana, Abuja

… As Jega charges members to vote out clueless APC govt

National chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Dr. Falalu Bello has said that efforts are on going to strengthen the party as it is in merger and alliances talks political groups that shares PRP aspirations.

This, he said is necessary for the party to surpass successes recorded in the 2019 general election.

The chairman who was re- elected alongside other national officers who are members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party at PRP national convention in Abuja on Saturday said aggressive membership drive is essential to success in the coming round of elections.

He said since 2019, the party has recorded growth with challenges as well as attracting persons willing to make the party grow, thereby calling on all respective branches to open up to accommodate people that believe in the principles of the party.

“We have a great party in our hands and can make it grow, prosper and take over power in Nigeria and run governments as done in old Kaduna and Kano States in 1979,” he said .

Chronicling the party’s electoral trajectory, he said PRP did well in fielding 385 candidates but did not fare as well in winning those elections as it got only 2 members in the House of Representatives in Bauchi State and it came 3rd in terms of votes in Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, and Benue States.

However, he said participation in these elections somehow brought the party back into reckoning as its presence in 22 of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT was highlighted as well as ignited.

Bello said the objective of the leadership is to expand the party’s presence in Nigeria, hence it is open to talk with other political associations.

The national chairman said “the PRP is prepared to be adopted by any political party which believe in its principles provided such as arrangement will not result in the party changing its name and logo,”

Bello also disclosed that the PRP has been invited in merger and alliances, talk by or with the groups such as; Northern Leaders and Consultative Front (NLCF) group of Northern politicians led by Dr. Usman Bugaje;. The Peoples Alternative Political Development (PAPD), a pan Nigerian

He said “National Consultative Front (NC Front) led by Professor Pat Utomi that initially started with 5 parties: African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Action Democratic Party (ADP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Peoples. Redemption Party (PRP).

“Looking for political alliance with the party; We Together (We2geda), another Pan Nigeria Movement headed by Alhaji Ibrahim H. Abdulkarim of mostly young and middle aged persons currently in various political parties inclusive of PRP, desirous of getting a platform to participate in elections.

“Members of the groups were advised to join the party so that issues of interest will be discussed and agreed with them, and (ii) Where the PRP structure does not exist or is weak, structures of adopting parties could be collapsed into PRPs”.

He warned members against indiscipline as he said greater sanction awaits any member that unnecessarily take the party to court.

Former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, who is a national leader of the party charged members to ensure mass mobilization of members in states and local government areas to gather voting strength to unseat the ruling APC government which he said is not sensitive to the needs and yearnings of Nigerians.

Jega said the people in government are self- serving and visionless about how to develop the country.

The former INEC boss said “Nigerian politics has been captured and dominated and in fact it’s even being destroyed by people who are self -serving, who are not patriotic, who are visionless in terms of how this country can develop.

“And it is very very important that we all as members of this progressive party dedicate our efforts to ensuring that the electoral process brings out good people in elected positions in our country. That is the only way that we can stop the brigandage the recklessness and the destruction of our country by people who are self serving and who are only thinking of themselves and are not thinking about our children or grandchildren or the future of our country”.