The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) says that it’s ready to merge with other political parties to form a coalition party and wrestle power from the All Progressives Congress ( APC) in 2027 general election.
The National Chairman of NNPP, Dr Ajuji Ahmed, stated this in Akure at the flag-off ceremony of the 2024 NNPP governorship election campaign.
Ahmed said that NNPP’s doors were open for dialogue to have a collation that would be a better and formidable force that could hijack power from the ruling party in 2027.
“I believe there should be such a plan and the NNPP is also a part of it. If at all it materialises, we have our doors open in such a way that if there is going to be a coalition of all the political parties to go into the election, we are ready for that.
“But if every individual party will want to go on its own, the NNPP is also preparing itself for that eventuality,” he said.
He said that it was evident that APC was doing whatever it could in order to ensure that it won the 2027 general election, adding that it was left to the other parties to maintain their integrity and ensure that they remained one and a viable opposition to the APC before 2027.
The national chairman asked voters and NNPP to guard their votes from any form of manipulation.
“Wherever you have a ruling party, the ruling party may not necessarily want to have a good opposition around it.
“But at the end of the day it is left to us to guard our votes on the voting day by having credible agents who will protect the vote and who will also be in charge of supervising the counting and once we have that, we believe that there is nothing the APC can do as such,” he stated.
Ahmed, who asked people of the state to vote for integrity and shun vote selling, said that NNPP had all criteria needed to bring needed positive transformation in the state.
Also speaking, the gubernatorial candidate of NNPP in the November election, Mr Gbenga Edema, asked eligible voters to come out en masse and cast their votes on Nov. 16 gubernatorial election, saying their votes would count.
“They have created initial fear in our people saying if you vote, your votes will not count, we will buy it. Even if you go to court, you will not get justice. No need to go to court because our court is the people’s court of Ondo State.
“Over 2 million will vote and we have studied the voting pattern of our people and we know that they will vote for NNPP.
“Don’t fear them, rather dare them. Come out on Nov. 16 and vote. Your votes will count. We know what they are capable of doing in terms of rigging, in terms of maligning the wills of the people, in terms of their mandate.
“Therefore, we are ready because people of Ondo State are enlightened.
“When it comes to electoral matters, we are capable of protecting our votes. We are not fearing them, we rather dare them,” Edema said.
Edema, who challenged the Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa administration to account for the past 10 months, promised that if NNPP won, there would be free education for all to the university level in the state.
According to him, NNPP has 7-point agenda manifesto that will offer free good health services, local government autonomy,development of rural areas, security and youth empowerment.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the 2024 NNPP Governorship Election in Ondo State, Mr Israel Ayeni, said the NNPP was determined and focus to rescue the state from economic doldrums.
Ayeni added that NNPP was a platform that the state could strive and take its position as a shining star among the comity of states in the country.