Presidency not threatened by New PDP, APC merger –Gulak

Mr. Gulak said the PDP and the president are not threatened.

The Presidency on Tuesday said that it was not threatened by the merger of the splinter group of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.

The Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak, made this known when he spoke with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The PDP faction called ‘New PDP’, led by Abubakar Baraje, and the APC announced the merger in a communiqué on Tuesday. The communiqué was signed by Mr. Baraje and the acting APC National Chairman, Bisi Akande.

Mr. Gulak, who reacted to the development, said neither the presidency nor the ruling party felt threatened.

“The presidency does not feel threatened and the PDP does not feel threatened.”

“PDP is the party to beat. We have had it before even people who had occupied higher offices left the party and came back.”

“Outside there, there is nothing, it is empty. PDP is the only party,’’ he said.

He added that the party and the presidency welcomed the development because it would end the distractions that had been going on.

“For a long time, I have said it that their hearts have not been in PDP. It is good that they have told the world that they have taken a stand so that PDP will not be distracted.”

“PDP as a party will be focused to build our party because a lot of people are waiting for this moment.”

“A lot of people in the APC have contacted me severally that they want to come back to PDP.”

“They said they were just waiting for what happened today to happen, and to us, it is a good development,’’ he said.

Mr. Gulak, however, said if the group decided to return to the PDP fold, they would be welcomed back.

“We are talking about peace, and reconciliation is an ongoing process.”

“If they go outside there like those that went there before them and taste that the outside there is empty they are always welcomed back home like we did before,’’ he said.

The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole of APC, was also at the Presidential Villa shortly after the announcement of the merger.

The governor, who did not spend up to 30 minutes in the villa, declined to speak with journalists.

Cracks have already appeared in the merger as a member of the New PDP and Governor of Niger, Babangida Aliyu, has declared he remains a member of the PDP and did not support the merger.

(NAN)