Ina Dan Borno?
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Indications are widespread that Acting President Goodluck Jonathan may have dumped political parties that are part of the Government of National Unity (GNU), as the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) are yet to be contacted for their nominations into the Executive Council of the Federation (EXCOF).
ANPP and PPA as partners in the GNU have always nominated members into the cabinet. The former minister of State in the Federal Capital Territory , Chuka Odom was a nominee of the PPA, while the ex-minister of Women Affairs in the dissolved council was a nominee of the ANPP.
THISDAY gathered that the Acting President is yet to make any contact with the National chairmen or national secretaries of either of the political parties.
According to the National Secretary of ANPP, Senator Saidu Kumo, “we are yet to be contacted. Neither the National Chairman nor myself has been contacted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led government, but I can assure you that we are not worried.”
On Senator Bala Mohammed, a serving senator and ANPP member from Bauchi State whose name is on the list of ministerial nominees to be screened from today, the National Secretary of ANPP said, “We are not aware of his nomination. He is not an ANPP nominee, though a member of the party, he must have been nominated on his personal credentials.”
It was also gathered that no contacts have been made to the PPA led by the former governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu. Though, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ben Onyechere said in a statement that nomination of members into the EXCOF is not a condition for the Government of National Unity.
According to the statement issued by the party, “ the Progressive Peoples Alliance will remain in the Government of National Unity, which was initiated by the Presidency as an aftermath of the 2007 Presidential election.
“We will remain in it because its usefulness far outweighs the pecuniary gains accompanying it. This declaration has become necessary in the wake of insinuations that in the event that Jonathan does not appoint any member of PPA as a minister, the PPA would storm out of GNU.
“That PPA will storm out of the GNU is the figment of the imagination of its originator because in the first place, apart from the fact that the Presidency initiated it while the Acting President has always being the Chairman of the GNU, the PPA is there because we consider the stability of this country of primary importance and as a matter of fact, we have tried to live up to our commitment to that cause.
“In the past, we have only been allotted the position of a minister of state, which in the actual sense is inappropriate yet we have remained, considering the content of the appeal by the Presidency for us to cooperate with it at the inception of this administration.
“It is a privilege to partner with the Presidency in a coalition which in itself not only reduces tension but is a sign of maturity as it is experimental in our evolving democratic experience. If they find us useless, they should formally inform us and we will opt out gracefully without grudges,” the party’s National Publicity Secretary said