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The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (
Wednesday's NEC was a one agenda meeting to discuss and adopt the recommendations of the Yerima committee.
Senator Yerima had last week led the ANPP team that negotiated with the PDP and the federal government to form a unity government.
ANPP National Chairman, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke who announced the decision in Abuja, however, said all members of the party who have instituted cases with the election tribunal should go ahead, this he said includes the presidential election.
But when asked whether the party's presidential candidate, General Mohammadu Buhari, was part of the decision, he said: "as you can see he is not hear so he is not part of the meeting."
ANPP sources hinted Daily Sun that the party's decision was firmed up after a closed door meeting between the ANPP governors, some top notchers of the party and President Yar'Adua. The meeting lasted about four hours.
All ANPP governors were in attendance at Wednesday's meeting but General Buhari was absent.
Earlier in his welcome address, the ANPP national chairman explained that the party accepted President Yar'Adua's invitation to commence discussions on the formation of a unity government because it is a "guarantee of necessary peace, progress and stability for our nation and its fledgling democratic institutions as a means to creating the atmosphere necessary for the attainment of the much needed fast and speedy progress required by Nigeria."
He denied the existence of any division in the party, even with the insistence of General Buhari that he is neither part of the decision nor is he ready to withdraw his case challenging the 2007 elections.
Efforts to reach the Buhari campaign organization at press time was not successful.
Borno State governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who spoke to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting with ANPP governors, said the party assured the president that there was no going back on the decision to participate in the administration.
Said he: "Unity government is an issue which we took position on a long time ago. We will participate and we assured Mr. President that we will be part and parcel of the unity government and whatever that will take this country to progress and succeed as a nation, we are part and parcel of it.
"We discussed things that have to do with our party and the nation generally. We came as leaders of our various states under the leadership of the ANPP to discuss issues that will help the country and our states generally."
The governor said just as Buhari had the right to decide what to do with himself, the party also has same to take a position on key issues. He explained that the issue at stake was of interest to the larger society.
"The presidential candidate of the party (ANPP) is a candidate, but also the party is a political party.
He has the right to decide for himself, but the party also has collective responsibility of the nation to decide what is in the best interest of our followers and the nation. Whatever political party you belong to, it is Nigeria first and foremost," Sheriff further said.
Other governors present at the meeting are those of Yobe, Bauchi, Zamfara and Kano.