More Parties To Merge With APC – Ganduje

 

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has hinted that some political parties will soon merge with the ruling party.

The former Kano State governor was reacting to a visit to his residence on Tuesday by Nyesom Wike, former governor of Rivers State and minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and some Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains.

Addressing journalists at his office in Abuja alongside immediate past Plateau State governor and minister Simon Lalong, Ganduje says Wike’s visit was the start of better things to come for the party’s membership drive under his leadership.

He said this is consistent with his pledge in his inaugural acceptance speech on August 3rd to increase the party’s membership.

In response to whether Wike’s visit is a sign of his defection to the ruling party, Ganudje stated that the former Rivers governor’s defection was not discussed during the visit to his residence.”We did not discuss his coming to APC or not coming to APC,” he said, adding that “that issue will arise later.”

Ganduje, on the other hand, noted that the defection of people like Wike into the APC would benefit the party’s electoral fortunes in 2027.

He said;

It will certainly improve the chances of this our party, especially in 2027 and not only that we are coming out with a new blueprint to increase the followership of the party and this we include all strata of officials; those who are in APC and those who are in other political parties. I assure you very soon some of the political parties will even merge with the APC. We are doing that underground.

You know Wike is minister,” the APC chairman said of what happened during the meeting with the minister-designate. So he came, and we talked about it because I was looking for him to congratulate him on that, and he came to congratulate me.

We discussed how, once he is fully ordained, he will work very hard to advance the ministry to which he has been assigned, and he is willing to cooperate.

On a courtesy visit to the national chairman, Simon Lalong, minister of labour and employment, and director-general of the defunct APC presidential campaign council, expressed confidence in Ganduje’s ability to lead the party to greater heights.

Lalong said;

Ganduje was governor. As a matter of fact, when we look at his antecedents, we always say he is the longest experienced politician that we have within us. Because he was very long in civil service. He became permanent secretary, commissioner, longest-serving deputy governor and became governor.

So with this kind of experience, what else do you need in party matters? We have confidence in him as he is now here and it is not an issue of one man. Anytime he has the opportunity he does a lot of consultations and we are always available.

His colleagues who were governors with him are always available for this kind of work. That is why we are rallying around to give him every help so that the party can also succeed.