PDP bloc in APC wants leadership to address members’ grievances

Prominent member of All Progressives Congress (APC), who defected from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said addressing their grievances was critical to the party’s victory in 2019 elections.

Leader of the group, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, made this known while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja after meeting with APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

Baraje, who showed a letter dated April 27 and entitled ´´Request for Redressing Grievances of Former New Bloc within the APC´´, to the media, said the meeting with the party chairman was to discuss the way forward.

He, however, said that the letter which was copied to President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was written with the best intention and the good of the party.

Baraje said that the bloc was desirous of strengthening the APC, especially now that it had commenced party congresses across the country and other electoral activities ahead of the 2019 general elections.

He added that the desire of members of the group was to see a united, inclusive, cohesive and progressive party, devoid of division, factions, cleavages and tendencies.

´´We envisioned a political party promoting equal rights for all Nigerians and ensuring rapid and even development across the country.

´´There is no gainsaying the fact that the lofty ideas enumerated cannot be attained without ensuring justice for party faithful and citizens.

´´It is an undeniable historical fact that the movement of the former new PDP bloc to form the APC contributed immensely to the victory of the APC in the 2015 elections,´´ he said.

Baraje added that victory may not be achieved in the party if it failed to address fundamental issues confronting it, especially with the crisis that characterised its recent congresses in parts of the country.

The former new PDP bloc in the APC includes eight former governors and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

According to Baraje, most of those in the bloc did not only deliver their states to the APC in 2015, some of the then governors were assigned specific responsibilities to ensure that other states were delivered.

He said that stakeholders of the bloc made unprecedented effort and delivered the entire North-Central to the APC in the 2015 polls.

He, however, added that the bloc was concerned that President Muhammadu Buhari had not acknowledged its efforts.

This, he said, was especially in the face of clear evidence that the total votes scored by APC in states where leaders and members of the bloc held sway, made the difference.