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Bisi Akande, the
national chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday
said a committee has been set up by the ACN and the Congress for
Progressive Change (CPC) in a bid to merge the parties into a single
platform that can present a formidable opposition to the Peoples
Democratic Party in the 2011 general elections. The CPC is founded by
former head of state Muhammau Buhari.

Mr. Akande
confirmed this in Lagos while briefing journalists after the party’s
final National Executive Committee meeting prior to its national
convention.

“It is true that
General Buhari wants ACN to merge with CPC. After the meeting we had,
we set up a committee comprising members from the two parties. The
committee has advised that both political parties can operate on the
same platform. But we have not reviewed the recommendation made by the
committee since then. We have not taken any decision on whether to
merge with any political party or not,” he said.

Also, the party’s
publicity secretary, Lai Mohammed, said the national chairman of the
All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has met with ACN’s leaders with the
sole aim of forming a bigger platform that can challenge the ruling PDP.

“Our talk is not
limited to one political party but we have not reached any concrete
agreement with any political party,” he said.

Mr. Mohammed
announced that the ACN will hold its national convention from December
2 to 16. According to him, ward congresses will hold in each ward on
December 2, local government congresses will hold on December 6, state
congresses, with the exception of Bayelsa, Sokoto, Akwa Ibom, and Cross
Rivers, will hold on December 11, while the national convention will
hold at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State, on
December 16.

Former Lagos State
Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said people should vote the ACN
into power in 2011 because it is a party that is consistent with its
principles.

“You have a party
like the Peoples Democratic Party that has been in power since 1999,
today you can summarise this government and party. They have not been
able to provide stable electricity, there is increasing poverty and
unemployment among our youths. There is no steady education programme,
education is regarded as the greatest weapon against poverty in this
country, yet it is not making any progress. No principle of
constitutionalism and federalism being adhered to, There is
interference all over the place,” he said, adding that there must be a
change of power in 2011 if Nigeria must change for the better.

Present at the
meeting held at the party’s state secretariat in Lagos were former the
incumbent Lagos State Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, former Anambra
State Governor, Chris Ngige, former Sokoto Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa,
former Oyo State Governor, Lam Adesina, among others.