Nigeria Content Online

The former
presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP),
Muhammadu Buhari, is to lead stakeholders from the north finding a
national secretary and filling other key positions in the newly-formed
Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The SDP has already appointed Pat Utomi as its protem national chairman.

Olawale Okuniyi,
the secretary of the Mega Summit Movement (MSM), which helped create
the new party, said on Sunday that though Mr. Buhari belongs to the
Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), he will help lead the movement
following the exit of former vice president Atiku Abubakar from the
group.

Mr. Abubakar has rejoined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“In spite of the
exit of former vice president Atiku Abubakar from the process, General
Muhammadu Buhari will lead key stakeholders from the northern axis to
endorse all nominations for the three geo-political zones of the
north,” Mr. Okunniyi said in a statement.

A new alternative

He said the party,
which comprises largely social democrats in the country may round off
its nationwide consultations this weekend in Abuja in readiness for its
launch. He said the party has intensified its final consultations with
key stakeholders and allies in order to get the best programmes and the
most competent hands.

Mr. Okunniyi also
said state and local coordinating teams will be announced at the end of
the party’s nationwide consultations, so that people can join the party
at the local levels. He asked all aspiring stakeholders in the 36
states and the FCT to immediately contact the national secretariat of
the SDP for further briefing.

He assured
interested members that the party’s registration is already before the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He said women and
Nigerians in Diaspora would all be given a fair deal in the new party
structure.

The party chief said the MSM would align itself with the labour
movement in its buildup “to give the nation a formidable
mega-alternative similar to what happened during the third republic
when the labour movement, through its political commissions,
progressively facilitated the formation and success of the SDP led by
MKO Abiola and others.”