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The party has been divided over the proposal. While its presidential candidate in the April election, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, has been opposed to the offer, his running mate and chairman of the party, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, has indicated interest in it.
Ume-Ezeoke is supported by some of the party's leaders, including former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Ahmed Yerima.
Buhari at the weekend accused the party's leadership of betrayal since they had literally forced him to challenge the result of the election in court, only to turn around and accept to serve in the same government.
Buhari told the Hausa service of the Radio Deutchevelle, Bonn, Germany that the ANPP leadership had abandoned him in the court case.
The party held its caucus meeting on Monday, while its National Working Committee (NWC) met on Tuesday. The newsmen learnt that top of the meeting agenda was the proposed unity government.
The Vice-Chairman, Publicity Committee of the party's Presidential Campaign, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, told the newsmen that Buhari camp would not participate in today's NEC meeting.
He said that Ume-Ezeoke ought to have called for a NEC meeting upon receiving Yar'Adua's invitation. Okechukwu noted that on the contrary, the party chairman and some other persons signed a statement accepting the offer, before inviting Buhari to a meeting.
He stressed that the NEC is the only body that could take a decision on behalf of the ANPP, adding that the NWC is just like a management committee that looks after the day-to-day running of the party but does not take decision on vital issues affecting the party.
Okechukwu, who is also the National Publicity Secretary of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP), argued that accepting to serve in the proposed unity government was in bad faith since the party is contesting many election results and not just that of the president.
He alleged that by calling for a unity government, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is trying to legitimise its widely acknowledged electoral fraud.
However, ANPP's National Secretary, Senator Saidu Umar Kumo, yesterday decried Buhari's absence at the party's national caucus meeting on Monday night to discuss the controversy.
He expressed the concern in an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) monitored in Kaduna, on Tuesday.
According to Kumo, Buhari merely sent a letter excusing him and the national leader of his campaign team, Alhaji Sule Hamman, that they would not be attending the National Caucus meeting because of a pressing problem which needed their attention.
The ANPP scribe said: The National Caucus of the ANPP met this night. We met with all the elders of the party, including our governors and all those that are supposed to be in the Caucus meeting as contained in the party's constitution.
We met, sat and discussed exhaustively and resolution was reached that we are satisfied with what the leaders of the party did, by accepting the invitation by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua to form a Government of National Unity for the progress of the nation and our people. We laid down our conditions.
He continued: We have given the leaders of the party permission to accept the posts given to them and only credible members should be given such posts.
However, he (Buhari) did not attend the meeting. We got a letter excusing him from his national campaign co-ordinator, Alhaji Sule Hamma that he and General Buhari would not be able to attend the meeting because they have pressing problem that coincided with the time of the meeting; therefore they wished us well.
He further debunked the widespread speculation that the opposition party has decided to withdraw all pending court cases challenging the elections, following its acceptance to participate in the GNU.
His words: There was no discussion on the withdrawal or continuation of the cases before the courts. Besides, even in our discussion with the Federal Government, that was not mentioned; that we would not do this or do that.
We laid down our conditions for the progress of the country, a situation where all of us will join hands, by that, helping the entire people of Nigeria from where they have found themselves.
Therefore, the issue of the court case has not been a condition for our participation or otherwise. We will definitely continue with the court cases until when it is decided that the cases should be withdrawn.
Kumo, however, stressed that the individual candidates are at liberty to pursue their cases in courts.
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