Mantu, Nnamani, Lamido, Shekarau reportedly move to form new party

There are allegations that top members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have began moves to form a new political party following the internal crisis rocking the former ruling party.

According to a report by Daily Trust, the crisis in PDP may have assumed an irredeemable dimension, hence, the decision of some top leaders to meet and discuss possibility of forming a new political party.

The report further revealed the ex-governor of Kano State and former Education minister, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, ex-governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and ex-Deputy Senate President Ibrahim Mantu, as the brainchild of the planned proposed political party.

It is believed that the political party would see to the end of PDP and give the All Progressive Congress, APC, run for its money in the 2019 elections.

When queried on the speculations, Mantu denied being part of any process aimed at forming a new political party.

In his words, “I have been attending series of meetings. I have been attending meetings both within the PDP and within the Save Democracy Group. As a member of the PDP constitutional review committee, I have been attending its meetings. I am also a member of a reconciliation committee of the PDP and a member of the northern leaders within the PDP. I’m a member of many groups and I am chairing many committees so I don’t know which one you are referring to really."

On the meeting he allegedly attended at Lamido's house, Mantu said, 'I know that there was a meeting in the office of the former Senate president Ken Nnamani. All these names you mentioned were members of that meeting. The objective of that meeting was to position the PDP in the right direction, look at what went wrong and how we are going to correct the mistake in order to reposition the party before the Nigerian people. That was the essence of that meeting. There were issues like things that needed to be done, including the election of a new chairman and that of the board of trustees so that we can do it in accordance with the provisions of our constitution. That was the meeting at Nnamani’s office.”

Others individuals that have been rumoured to be in line with the move to form the new party include ex-minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Muhammed, Ahmed Muhammed Gusau, Isa Yuguda, Donald Duke, Peter Odili, Dimeji Bankole, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, Senator Ibrahim Ida, Adamu Maina Waziri, Ibrahim Idris, Aminu Wali, Abba Dabo, John Odey, Austin Opara, Abiye Sekibo, Sergent Awuse, Wole Oke, Lasun Yusuf and Aniete Okon.