The ruling All Progressives (APC) denied knowledge of an alleged splinter group, Team New Nigeria (TNN), saying the rebels are not known members of its party.
The TNN had on Sunday announced that its loyalists are leaving the APC fold towards the formation of a new political party that would rescue Nigeria from the threshold of poverty, hunger, insecurity and devastation.
The group’s National President, Modibbo Farakwai, boasted at the official inauguration of the Kano State harmonisation committee that they were targetting no fewer than 26 million voters across the country.
Fatakwai added that all their supporters had unanimously agreed to form a New Nigeria party devoid of misgovernance, selfish leadership and corrupt political officeholders.
Reacting, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, expressed surprise at the report, saying the members are not card-carrying members of the party.
Duru noted that even the name of the group and its president didn’t sound familiar.
According to him, a genuine member of the APC knows there is a mechanism to resolve a grievance before it gets to the stage of defecting or exiting the party.
He said, “If this group comprises our party members and have a copy of the constitution, they would already know there is a way to effect a change in the leadership of the APC. It is not to leave the APC and register another political party with INEC.
“So, without even a deeper reflection of their intent, one can only conclude that these perhaps are not members of the APC or maybe persons who have not taken the trouble to read the APC Constitution to come to an understanding of what it means and what to do.
“With respect to their misgivings, they should take recourse to the party’s constitution and know what step needs to be taken. This clearly shows, in my view, that they might not be members of the APC or have no understanding of what needs to be done.”
When asked to react to the threat their action could pose to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, Duru laughed.
“They are more than welcome in their quest to defeat the APC in 2027. Variety is the spice of life. As many who want to come under a coalition or other political party are more than welcome.
“So long as they do so within the confine of the law and what the law expects from every one of us,” he noted.
