2019: Why we joined CUPP

The Progressives People Alliance (PPA) says inadequate development and insecurity in the country are among reasons it joined the Coalition of United People Party (CUPP) ahead of 2019 elections.

The Chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BOT), Godwin Ezeemo, stated this on Friday in an interview with journalists in Umuchu, Anambra.

He said: “what is important in the coalition is to see that we raise a leadership that will be sensitive to development, security and other issues affecting the people directly.

“This is not to say we will write APC off completely; there are few areas they did well, but below the pass mark level.

“In the area of security, I am displeased with the way Nigerians are killed all over the country. It is not fair.

“Any government that fails to provide security for the people is not worth being there at all.

“We have equally seen that impunity remains a big issue in the current administration that allows a few to rule instead of adhering to the will of the people.

“The unfair treatment and the use of security and graft agencies against political opponents by the APC led-federal government are, to say the least, one of its short comings.”

Mr Ezemo scored the government “half credit’’ in its fight against corruption, saying that it had left it half way.

“It does not make sense of the whole effort in the fight against corruption that the fight is now being used to make politicians join the party.

“No administration has started the fight against corruption, but while APC started it, it has not been able to finish even one case,” he said.

He explained that PPA was part of the coalition to ensure that only individuals with unquestionable character, sincerity of purpose and with interest of the nation were elected in 2019.

“We need individuals who are willing to lead selflessly and such individual must be acceptable to all the units of the country; such person must be a detribalised individual.

“We want a person who would remember that we do not have any other country than Nigeria; a leader that will not make decisions based on sentiments but on objectivity,” the chairman stressed.

He criticised the freezing of state governments’ accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and likened it to declaration of state-of-emergency where there was no need.

“That is why we support the call to restructure the country to reduce power at the centre,” he added.

The PPA, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and 36 other political parties, in July, formed the CUPP, an alliance to produce a common presidential candidate for 2019 election.

(NAN)