The Action Democratic Party says it has concluded, through a Memorandum of Understanding, an alliance with 16 other political parties in the country ahead of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
The Leader and National Treasurer of the party in Abia state, Okey Udoh, disclosed this in Umuahia over the weekend, noting that the party had been in consultation to form an MoU called ‘3rd Force’ with about 16 other parties.
He said the ADP, as one of the solid parties in the country since 2019, even before the advent of the Peoples Democratic Party, was not a part of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, pointing out “the party is going for a merger that will produce the best candidates”, and ”whenever that occurs, ADP will not lose its identity”.
“ADP can always stand on its own and cannot be swallowed by others who can only come and join. Such alliance will not swallow the identity of ADP,” he assured.
He further stated that, in partnership with state governors, ADP planned to build an African Diplomatic Institute for research on African democracy that would afford researchers the opportunity to know more about the African model of democracy.
Udoh also noted that the party had done its state and local government congresses, disclosing that by July, the party would consider a “consensus election” to avoid problems.
ADP, he said, was not just in Nigeria to play politics, but to change the narrative – and had incorporated the disabled, assuring further that the indigent were also accommodated.
The ADP national treasurer regretted that in Abia, the state budget was badly managed, stating “Only in the state will leaders go to the senate to know how our money will be managed”.
He acknowledged that uncountable challenges like finance confronted the party since it was not in power, adding, however, that the party was managing through contributions and personal sacrifices, while other parties in power used public funds to push away others.
He further kicked against parties in power that pulled down billboards of its party members across the country.
Talking about his home state, Udoh boasted, “Abia can conveniently stand with Rivers State or challenge Lagos in terms of internally generated revenue, but that, “it takes the political will to do that. ADP can stand up and beat our chest as we can make it. We are not like PDP or APC, we will do it”.
He scored the state “anything less than zero” in development, especially as the state treasury had been woefully depleted, assuring that ADP would not impose leaders on the people when they take over the government house in Umuahia come 2023.
Earlier in his speech, the State Chairman of the party, Deacon Benjamin Arisa charged the faithful in the state, saying, “We are in for serious business”, whilst urging them to go all out with their full minds.
“We understand the politics of Abia and ADP is an alternative. We are going to start a fight. The change of government in Abia state is ripe, we have the alternative and we are not coming as an individual but as a group,” he said.
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