Posted by From JAMES OJO,Abuja on
In a rather curious twist, members of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) are praying for the party's presidential candidate in last year April general election, General Mohammadu Buhari, to triumph at the presidential election tribunal.
In a rather curious twist, members of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) are praying for the party's presidential candidate in last year April general election, General Mohammadu Buhari, to triumph at the presidential election tribunal.
The Edwin Ume-Ezeoke- led executive of the party had distanced itself from the case instituted by the former military head of state, who is asking the tribunal to void the election and order a fresh one. The tribunal, led by Justice James Ogebe, is at the stage of adopting the consolidated petitions by Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar challenging the victory of President Umaru Yar'Adua at last April presidential election.
Hon Mohammed Ali Ndume, leader of ANPP caucus in the House of Representatives, who made the revelation on Monday, said that he was very sure that millions of party members are praying daily that the tribunal will upturn the results declared by INEC.
'ANPP is praying for General Buhari to succeed in the case he filed against what INEC said about the April election. The truth is that there was no election. You can see what is happening at the tribunal, so ANPP will be happy to form the next government," he said. Although, Ndume said he was not in a position to speak for the party, all he knows was that no real member of the party would not wish General Buhari success in the tribunal.
'I am the leader of ANPP in the House, that I said that ANPP is praying for General Buhari to succeed does not mean I am speaking on behalf of the party. This is my personal opinion and wish, because he remains our party candidate for the 2007 presidential election," Ndume clarified.
He gave assurance that the party would not field another candidate in the event that the tribunal orders for fresh presidential election, adding that 'Buhari remains the candidate of ANPP."
The ANPP leader promised that the party would extend hands of fellowship to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whenever it formed the government at the federal level, noting that his party went into alliance with PDP to form the Government of National Unity [GNU], for the nation to move forward.
The acceptance of the ANPP to participate in GNU caused a friction between the leadership of the party and Buhari.
Ndume, who moved a motion last week for a probe into the mismanagement of $10billion on the power sector by the Obasanjo's administration, denied that it was targeted at humiliating the former president. Instead, he said that every Nigerian is suffering from the pains of irregular power supply.
He bemoaned the slow pace of action by the present administration that promised to declare a state of emergency in the power sector, but could not do something concrete in that direction after six months in office.
'The president needs encouragement and push. That is why we moved the motion. We have nothing against Obasanjo, but if the committee deems it fit to call him to make clarifications, he should be free to provide an answer. He is a Nigerian and Nigerians say that they deserved regular power supply," he noted. The ANPP leader promised to initiate a bill on Infrastructure Development Agency as a panacea for infrastructure decay in the country, adding that until there is such agency, it would be pretty difficult to find a lasting solution to the problems of infrastructure development in the county.