The Eagle Online has been intimated of the demands members of the New Peoples Democratic Party faction in the All Progressives Congress will be making when it meets with President Muhammadu Buhari to forestall its exit from the APC.
The members of the nPDP in a statement by its National Chairman, Kawu Baraje, and National Secretary, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, had earlier in the week written to the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, demanding for a meeting with Buhari within seven days.
The faction of the PDP then had joined the APC shortly before the 2015 election.
Top on the list of the demands is the concession of some party and National Assembly positions to its members.
For the party position, The Eagle Online gathered that the nPDP wants one of its members to become the National Publicity Secretary of the APC.
The position is at present occupied by Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, with fresh election at a National Convention already in the pipeline.
So also is the nPDP seeking one of its own to emerge the National Secretary of the party.
The Eagle Online gathered that the positions of the Senate Presidency and Speaker of the House of Representatives are being demanded by the faction.
The positions are at present occupied by two members of the faction: Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara.
The general feeling in the APC and the political circle is that with the failure of the National Assembly to achieve its move to order the sequence of election as contained in the amended Electoral Act, Buhari will move against the return to Saraki to the Senate and where this fails, the President will ensure the Kwara State born politician does not retain his seat as the President of the Senate.
A credible source close to the faction told The Eagle Online that since the faction is not contesting against Buhari, the President should also allow the status quo in the National Assembly to remain and zone sensitive positions in the party to the members of the nPDP so that they can have a sense of belonging.
According to the source: “Since we are not contesting the Presidency, the status quo in the National Assembly should remain.”
It could be recalled that the nPDP in the APC hijacked the leadership of the National Assembly against the interest of the party’s leadership.
However, The Eagle Online can report that most the former five governors that formed the nPDP and led the defection to the APC are no longer in the same caucus based on current political arrangements.
The former governors were Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rotimi Ameachi, Aliyu Wammako, AbdulFatai Ahmed and Murtala Nyako.
As at the time of filling this report, The Eagle Online was unable to confirm whether Ameachi, Nyako and Kwankwaso are involved in request for the urgent meeting with Buhari within seven days.
Another source who is close to the camp, particularly that of Saraki, told The Eagle Online that the Saraki political dynasty will never be in a political party that they will not have a grip on the National Chairman or the National Secretary.
The source said for Saraki to remain in the APC, he must be given a sensitive position in the National Working Committee of the party.
Saraki is the arrowhead of the scheduled meeting with Buhari, The Eagle Online was told.
Baraje, one of his political proteges, signed the letter alongside Oyinlola, a former Governor of Osun State, who on Thursday resigned his Chairmanship of the National Identity Management Commission.
