The news of the formation of a mega party in the mode of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) continues to gain traction with the visit recently of former governor Nasir el–Rufai to the secretariat of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
El- Rufai had gone to reciprocate an earlier visit made by National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Kashim Ibrahim – Imam and the National Chairman, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Shehu Musa Gabam.
The trio had visited el – Rufai’s Abuja home for the breaking of their fast on invitation.
Those conversant with the happenings in the country’s political terrain said that El-Rufai, one of the major actors of the formation of the APC in 2014 had gone to sound out the leaders of one of the parties to be used as the platform for that purpose.
He was received by the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the SDP.
It would be recalled that Sunday Telegraph reported early in the year that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party had set up a Think Tank on the formation of a mega party with the view to getting a poster boy for the party, who would be acceptable to all.
Also, the newspaper reported on the PDP Young Turks, who are battling Atiku to leave the party for them.
A Source, who confided in the newspaper, gave an idea of how the mega party would be formed: “People will move from APC, people will move from PDP; they will move from SDP and Labour Party. They plan to do what APC did in 2015.
“Recall that El Rufai was one of the front persons who led that coalition with Tinubu and Buhari’s CPC (Congress for Progressives Change). El Rufai was one of those, in the CPC to team up with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
“That is the same template they are banking on that they can form a mega party they believe that the PDP on its own alone cannot and several young Turks in the PDP are also asking Atiku to quit the stage and allow the party to breathe. That his stranglehold on the party has not allowed the party to move in the last 10 years, and that the party also needs a breath of fresh air.”
Our source continued: “Those, if they are not allowed, will team up with the promoters of the mega party and one of the things they will do is to stand as the main opposition party.
“There are three plans afoot. The first plan is to merge with one of the existing parties either the PDP, the Labour Party, or with SDP and that is one of the reasons El Rufai went there to sound them out.
“The people in the PDP, who are the rebels, believe that the PDP is sufficiently damaged and that it may not become a viable opposition party even if you rejuvenate it, while the diehard PDP is still saying that if Atiku is pushed out, the Young people can come in and revive the party.
“However, those who have left the PDP into the APC are saying that if they return to the PDP, it will affect their political fortunes. So, they are the ones pushing for a new political platform that will accommodate the rebels and those who are disgruntled with what is happening in APC, those disgruntled with what is happening in PDP and some persons in the Labour Party also believe that no matter how hard the Labour Party tries on its own, they cannot win the coveted prize at the centre. So, they have to team up. It is the same thing with those too with the SDP.
“Do not also forget that a number of those in this group are also close to Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasia Movement is also there.”
Also another former member of the PDP from the South West said: “Now that our man is moving from place to place, he is networking and everybody knows that something is afoot.
“The opposition is looking into the process of remaking itself. Some persona in the PDP believe that the PDP as political machinery does not have what it takes to get power again, and some people in APC believe that the APC as currently constituted does not cater for their interests. Therefore, several persons are looking to the way of el – Rufai, and some of the people who may leave. Quite several persons from the ruling party to partner or team up with like minds in the PDP, in the Labour Party, in the SDP.
“There is an attempt at galvanizing an opposition, which will serve as a movement and then metamorphose into a mega party that will be in the opposition to the APC.
“There are internal rebellions in the parties. If you want to leave, you do some damage to the party and el-Rufai has not forgotten how he was treated. His party was built with vigour and he did everything to make them win, before his ministerial appointment.
“His party has the majority but he was not cleared. Those close to him believed that if the political leadership wanted him, there would have been a way.
