Quote:By Onyekachi Eze Abuja 


Baring any change in plan, former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) may likely leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) before Thursday this week.

Leader of the group, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, had, in a statement on Sunday, said the group would announce its next political move before the end of this week.

But a PDP source disclosed that the party is expecting a declaration from the group before Thursday this week.

The nPDP had, in a letter dated April 27, accused the APC leadership and President Muhammadu Buhari of sidelining, harassing, intimidating and victimising its members.

Since then, the group had met with Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and the APC leadership, but Buhari has refused to discuss with them.

The PDP source told New Telegraph that the group had perfected plan to leave APC on June 23, the date of the party’s national convention, but for disagreement between the members.

“The plan was to address a press conference that day and announce their movement en masse to PDP, but there was a security report. The thing leaked and they had to put the plan on hold.

“They could also not agree to move that day. Some of them wanted it delayed but people like (Senator Musa) Kwankwaso said ‘no!'” the source explained.

Kwankwaso visited Atiku Abubakar on the night of APC convention in what the former vice president’s media office explained as a Sallah visit.

Senator Dino Melaye also stayed away from the convention.

The former Kano State governor, over the weekend, declared that he would help PDP beat Buhari in 2019, though he has not formally declared for the party.

The source, however, disclosed that a glitch in the group’s movement might be the expected judgement on the President of Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, coming up on July 16.

“We were thinking that it (the defection) will be delayed until after the judgement. But going by Baraje’s statement, it may be soon than expected,” he said.

PDP has set up a contact and mobilisation committee headed by former Cross River State governor, Senator Liyel Imoke, which is yet to submit its report to the party leadership.

It was believed that the delay is in connection with the discussions with new members expected to join the party.