| GNU: Yar’Adua
begs ANPP for understanding
From FRANCIS AWOWOLE-BROWNE, Abuja
Friday, November 23, 2007
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•President
Yar'Adua
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua has pleaded for the
understanding of the leadership of the All Nigeria Peoples
Party (ANPP), over the delay in the announcement of the party’s
nominees into his cabinet, in the spirit of the Government
of National Unity, (GNU).
The plea was made by the President when a delegation of the
party leaders led by Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, visited him at
the Aso Rock Villa to lodge complaints and register its displeasure
with the execution so far, of the GNU agreement entered into
with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government.
It would be recalled that the ANPP hierarchy was taken aback
when after signing agreement to work with the federal government
last June, in the spirit of the GNU, only two of its ten nominees
were appointed as ministers out of 40 ministerial positions.
The party leaders were jolted the more, when again, only two
names, out of 17 nominees, contained in three separate lists
sent to the President made the ambassadorial list forwarded
to the Senate for confirmation.
The development has generated disquiet among the party faithful,
who feel that the party has not been fairly treated as the
second largest party, with the leadership calming frayed nerves
by assuring them that the situation would be addressed.
Therefore, the party leaders comprising members of the National
Working Committee (NWC), some governors, as well as the former
Zamfara governor, Alhaji Sani Ahmed Yerima had conveyed in
writing to President Yar’Adua their dissatisfaction
with the development and the need for a meeting.
The party leaders had an opportunity with the President on
Tuesday to vent their grievances, calling the attention of
President Yar’Adua to the risk the party leaders had
taken in identifying with his government, to the extent of
ditching their presidential candidate and the attendant public
disdain against the party leaders.
National Chairman of the party, Chief Ume-Ezeoke confirmed
to Daily Sun in an interview that they presented their concern
over the GNU to President Yar’Adua and that the President
appreciated how the ANPP had kept to the words and letters
of the agreement.
He stated that the president pleaded for the understanding
of the party leaders, asking them to be patient with him,
and attributed the inability of his government to relate to
the ANPP leaders to the communication gap, occasioned by his
frequent journeys abroad.
Chief Ume-Ezeoke explained that President Yar’Adua was
full of praises to the ANPP for helping in stabilizing his
administration despite the infiltration by fifth columnists,
who did not mean well for the country.
The party boss disclosed that they also have the assurance
of President Yar’Adua that other nominees presented
to him would soon be appointed, though some of them may not
necessarily be assigned the portfolio the party had in mind,
but “there will be something for you.”
Chief Ezeoke said that contrary to the belief in some circles,
the essence of going into the GNU was not necessarily to get
appointment, but to bring stability into the country’s
democracy, and also keep intact the ANPP at all levels.
He posited that if the party had not entered into the GNU,
events would have broken the ANPP into factions as most members
were ready to pull the rug from under the feet of the party
leaders, pointing out that “we had to put the GNU matter
into vote at all levels of our party organs, and the majority
decision was that ANPP should go with the GNU.”
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