Mega party: New name controversy trails planned merger

Promoters of the proposed mega party are currently said to be in disagreement over the name to give the new party, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

Investigations by our correspondent in Abuja, spanning three days, indicated that the promoters of the mega party are sharply divided on which name to adopt for the proposed party.

This, Saturday PUNCH further learnt, has polarised the committee set up by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led national caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, whose responsibilities include wooing former members of the party who defected to the All Progressives Congress and other political parties.

The 15-man committee, which is headed by a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, was said to have been meeting with groups and individuals who are said to have shown interest in leaving their political parties.

The job of the intra-party committee, whose activities have been criticised by the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led faction of the PDP, includes bringing back former members of the PDP and also wooing those who have never been members of the former ruling party.

However, our correspondent learnt that most of those spoken with on the need to return to the party were said to have been insisting that the PDP must change its name, just like the other political parties that formed the now ruling APC.

The former All Nigeria Peoples Party, Action Congress of Nigeria and the Congress for Progressive Change and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance merged to form the APC.