The Inside Story Of The ACN/CPC Alliance Talks Collapse

Sahara Reporters

23 January 2011

The Inside Story Of The ACN/CPC Alliance Talks Collapse

Talks of possible merger and adoption of a single presidential candidate by the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have collapsed, at least for now.

One of the gladiators on the ACN side said in Lagos that the so-called merger was no more than hype by the Muhammadu Buhari side in the first place.

Saharareporters was told that the talks broke down a long time ago as General Buhari refused to participate in the ACN party primaries perhaps because he sensed that running against a younger candidate in Nuhu Ribadu or Attahiru Bafarawa could spell doom on his political career.

The purported plan by the ACN and CPC to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) yesterday in Abuja was dismissed by some sources as a concoction of the Daily Trust newspaper, whose owners are associates of General Buhari.  During the waning days of the Umaru Yar’Adua administration, Daily Trust developed a reputation for such unfounded stories, notably stories of Yar’Adua’s "recovery" even when the man was in a vegetative state and only weeks from dying.