•We didn’t sign MoU with PDP, says ANRP
Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Tuesday insisted that it remained one united political party under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying it did not recognise the reformed All Progressives Congress (rAPC), a group within its fold that signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 38 other opposition parties in Abuja on Monday.
The rAPC made a public entry last week, contesting the legitimacy of the leadership of the APC and contending that there had been a break in the ruling party.
But the APC in a statement Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, denied rAPC factional status.
It said: “On Monday July 9, 2018, a group of individuals under the so-called ‘Reformed All Progressives Congress’ platform purportedly joined a coalition of opposition political parties ahead of the 2019 general election.
“We respect the right of everyone to join any association or group. However, we wish to reiterate that the so-called rAPC is not a faction of our party. Our party, APC remains united under the leadership of our President, Muhammadu Buhari.”
Referring to the MoU signed by rAPC and 38 political parties with the PDP, which threw up the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), the ruling party said: “No level of gang-up can make our government under President Buhari to waiver in its promises to Nigerians.
“It is also noteworthy that some political parties that have been named as signatories to the MoU have disassociated themselves from the publicised deal.
“We once again reiterate the commitment of our party to address real grievances of our genuine members. We call on them to take advantage of this opportunity while the windows for reconciliation are still open.
“We are confident that no level of gang-up can make our government under President Buhari to waiver in its promises to Nigerians to rid our country of corruption and improve the quality of lives for our people.”
Meanwhile, the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP) said Tuesday that the recent report associating it to the signing of an MoU with 39 political parties was erroneous, false, and misleading.
‘’We are not, and at no time were we in talks with the PDP to enter into a strategic relationship. Nor did we sign any MoU,’’ the party’s spokesman, Sesugh Akume, stated.
ANRP claimed that the “misleading story’’ had harmed its integrity, reputation and good standing.
