The Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, says it has established potential merger talks with the African Democratic Congress, ADC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The National Chairman of the PRP, Falalu Bello, made this known at a joint press conference with his ADC counterpart, Ralph Nwosu, on Friday in Abuja.
This is coming few days after the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, declared that no merger of the opposition parties can stop President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
The APC was reacting to the statement made by Atiku Abubakar’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, that his principal and Peter Obi of the Labour Party had learnt their lessons in the last general election and would unite to kick out the ruling party from office.
While fielding questions from newsmen on Friday, PRP national chairman, Bello, confirmed that they have already initiated talks with the leadership of ADC to begin the process of rescuing the country from the grasp of the ruling party.
“Yes, we have begun talks. We are not afraid of mergers at all. Let us look at the electoral history. The PRP is the oldest political party today. We formed the government in Kaduna in 1979 because of a political alliance with the UPN, NPP, and PNP joined today to win the election in the state.
“If other parties want to join us, then they are welcome. The doors are open for even individuals, not only political parties. But if they prefer joining a party that is anti-people and talks only about money politics, go to the PDP and APC. That is what they stand for. They are two sides of a coin.
“So we are saying that we are tired and want something fresh. And if that requires me or the ADC chairman to step down, so be it. This country is more important than all of us. The PRP constitution represents the principle and ideology we stand for,” he said.
On his part, the ADC national chairman, Ralph Nwosu, stressed that the need to come together was further boosted by the discovery that both parties share the same ideology.
Nwosu reiterated that with the current hardship rocking the country, there was no need to be told that the masses are tired and need an air of fresh breath.
“A coalition and alliance which will eventually lead to a possible merger is ongoing between the PRP and the ADC. Why are we doing this? It is to build a politically driven ideology and clear vision of where we are going. It should not be seen as a molue (popular Lagos commercial shuttle) or a special purpose vehicle to contest elections.
“Nigerians are tired. After 25 years of these political struggles, it is high time we built something that will last. We will be failing (in our duty) if we are unable to come together and leave parties that will become a legacy for the future. The door is open to any politician in Nigeria who shares.
“This alliance talk was initiated by our parties, not by people who are seeking office. These are political party leaders who feel ‘enough is enough’ in this country and want to move on. Eventually, people who are running for office will have to come in knowing we have some principles they must adhere to. Our concerns about democracy are very clear,” he added.
