Buhari Heads for Labour Party

The cat and mouse relationship between Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) will soon come to an end as the ANPP candidate in the 2007 presidential election is set to finally leave the party.
THISDAY learnt authoritatively that Buhari has already set up two committees to decide which to join among the five political parties that have invited him.
But it was learnt that Buhari may pitch his tent with the Labour Party.
The Buhari Organisation (TBO), his political outfit, with which he prosecuted the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections, though unsuccessfully, will join such a party en masse.
But the ANPP National Chairman, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, has said the party has no objection to Buhari quitting.
THISDAY gathered that Buhari at a meeting with members of the TBO set up two committees, one of which is headed by a member of the ANPP Presidential Council and the National Publicity Secretary of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Osita Okechukwu, to decide which to join among the parties that have invited him.
The parties are the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Peoples Salvation Party (PSP), National Conscience Party (NCP), Labour Party (LP) and Progressive Action Congress (PAC).
Those at the meeting where Buhari decided to quit ANPP and set up the two committees were Air Vice Marshal Muktar, Faruk Demba, Engr. Buba Galadima, Chief Mike Ahamba (SAN) and Sule Hamma.
According to a competent source from TBO, Buhari told the committee that the party to be recommended must be one that embraces internal democracy within it.
The source explained that Buhari pointed out that since most of the new political parties were formed in the twilight of the 2003 general elections, there executive committees have virtually remained the same.
Also, the ANPP presidential candidate in the 2007 poll charged the two committees to search for any political party within the group that is willing to undergo internal democracy through a supervised convention by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In line with this, it was gathered that the committees have zeroed in on the Labour Party and the Progressive Action Congress (PAC), as the PRP, PSP have all northern chairmanship, a condition, it was gathered Buhari is not favourably disposed to.
The source explained that Buhari prefers a party with a southern chairman.
In view of this, it was gathered that the LP is seriously considering having its national convention towards the end of January 2009, as to attract the recommendation of the committee.
When contacted, Buh-ari’s spokesman, Okec-hukwu, confirmed that the former ANPP candidate had decided to call it quits with the beleaguered party and team up with like minds under what he called “a major coalition” to confront the ruling Peoples Dem-ocratic Party (PDP) in 2011.
He told THISDAY last night that Buhari was currently consulting with leaders of some of the seven political parties that adopted him as their presidential candidate in the 2007 election.
He named the Action Congress (AC) and the Labour Party (LP) and two of the parties involved in the consultations.
“Yes, Buhari will be meeting with his associates and supporters early this year (2009) to decide where we are going. He is still consulting widely. I can confirm that he is out of ANPP,” Okechukwu explained.
Responding to Buhari’s plan to quit the party, he said, “this is a free country. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees him the freedom of free association. He is free to quit
“With him leaving the party, he has shown he is not a true party man. I can assure you that ANPP will not loose sleep with General Buhari quitting ANPP. We had expected him to quit the party before now,” he said.

source:this day online