The National Working Committee of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has said it was not bothered by the decision of certain politicians led by former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara to pitch their tent with the main opposition party in the country, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
National Chairman of the NNPP, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali made the declaration on Monday at a news conference in Abuja.
Dogara and his new platform under the aegis of the Northern Leaders Consultative Forum (NLCF) had adopted the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar as their candidate.
The NNPP national chairman said his party was not bothered by the exit of the group led by Dogara from their fold.
He said: “The latest in the efforts to distract our Presidential Candidate is the ‘endorsement’ of a Presidential Candidate by a group calling themselves the Northern Leaders Consultative Forum (NLCF). As a political party that believes in the democratic right of people to support a candidate of their choice, it is also our right not to be dragged into an undeserving hatchet job.
“As far as NNPP is concerned Northern Leaders Consultative Forum (NLCF) is unknown to us. And there was never a time we had any interface with the group.
“As a matter of fact, some politicians led by former Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and former SGF, Babaachir Lawal came to us, sometimes ago under a Christian religion banner, claiming marginalisation by their party, At time nobody ever mentioned any group called Northern Leaders Consultative Forum to us. With the benefit of hindsight, we noticed some elements of insincerity in their activities. It appears, they came to NNPP on a window shopping, desperately searching for a refuge.
“For the Yakubu Dogara and his co-travellers to turn round and accuse our party and our Presidential candidate, His Excellency, Sen. Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of not laying before Nigerians ‘their action, plan 90 days to elections’ clearly showed that the group was working to predetermined answer.