Count us out of Coalition for New Nigeria – DPP Chairman, Benson

The Democratic People’s Party (DPP) has distanced itself from a group of 30 political parties that formed the Coalition for a New Nigeria (CNN).

National Chairman of the party, Mr Gershom Benson, stated this in Abuja on Friday while speaking to reporters.

He noted that leadership of the party was shocked to know that it was listed among stakeholders in the coalition.

National Chairman of Labour Party, AbdulKarim Abdulsalam, had at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja, announced that 30 opposition parties, including DPP, had agreed to form CNN. 

“We are surprised and embarrassed to read in the dailies of Thursday that DPP was among 30 political parties that want to form CNN.

“We are never part of it. Nobody discussed it with us; we did not attend any meeting where it was discuss and we did not attend any of the briefings.

“If they don’t have members, they should not be deceiving Nigerians that they are forming a coalition to force parties names into whatever they are doing. It is very wrong.

“We disassociate ourselves from that publication. We are not part of CNN and we cannot be part of CNN.

“If my party wants to join, there are procedures to it. The NEC will meet and take a decision before we can be part of any body at all.

“We want to categorically disassociate ourselves from that group. We are not part of it and we cannot be part of it.

“No member of my party executive attended that meeting. I have been in Abuja for more than one week and I was not there.

“If we are going to join any coalition at all, the party will to take appropriate decision but for now we are not in anyone.’’

The chairman said that he had already r