nPDP gives condition to return to negotiating table with the Presidency

The new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) members in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) who are loyal to Kawu Baraje have hinted of conditions that will make them return to the negotiating table with the Presidency.

The group which has both Senate President Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, as members had recently pulled out of talks with the Presidency after the Nigerian Police summoned the president of the Senate for questioning over the Offa robbery attack in Kwara State on April 5, 2018, that left over 30 persons dead.

The group had gone to the negotiating table after it claimed that its members in APC are being marginalized, and suggested that they’ll take a decision that may not augur well with the party if their grievances were not addressed.

However, speaking on a political programme on Television Continental in Abuja on Saturday, the chairman of nPDP, Baraje have explained that his group were ready to go back to the negotiating table if the environment is normal, free of fear and intimidation.

“We are ready to go back for peace talks. If we were not ready, we wouldn’t have raised that letter. For us to go back, the environment must be welcoming.

“Anytime the environment returns to normal, we are ready to go back but the earlier the better because the party really does not have the luxury of time if it wants to win the 2019 elections.”

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He also said what his group will do in a situation the Presidency chooses to ignore returning to the negotiating table with it.

On that he said, “If they call our bluff, we will go back and take a decision. Baraje is just providing leadership for the group. Let the APC call our bluff first then we will go back to the people who sent us and they will take a decision.

“If you represent a group and the interest of that group is not being taken care of, you would have to look for a place where you will be catered for. Every individual has aspirations; if your aspiration will not be taken care of in a particular space, you have to change base.

“As far as the nPDP is concerned, we want to go into any group where there will be good governance.”

 

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