ANN announces merger ahead of national convention

One of the newly registered political parties, the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), on Wednesday announced its merger with the Nigeria Intervention Movement in Lagos.
Naseer Kura, NIM’s deputy director, while announcing the merger at a press conference said the political movement’s endorsement of ANN as its preferred party of choice was based on a shared philosophy and ideology.
Mr Kura said both platforms also share a dogged pursuit to change how politics is played in the country which, according to him, is devoid of public service and selflessness.
The merger came barely one month after NIM chose the Action Democratic Party (ADP), another newly registered political party, as its coalition party for the 2018 Ekiti governorship election.
On Wednesday, Mr Kura said the movement decided to merge with the ANN after it had gone into consultation and negotiation with 17 other political parties.
Promise Adewusi, NIM’s head of media and publicity, said the movement is open to all well-meaning Nigerians except those ”with baggage”, such as individuals undergoing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Jay Samuels, ANN’s chairman, said the merger is a sign that their message in the last one year had resonated with the kind of people they wanted to reach.
He said information on plans for wards, local, state congresses as well as the national convention would be made available to the public in the coming days.
“This is not a merger but a coming together of a political party and a political movement,” Mr Samuels said.
“We have the same ideology, other groups have joined the party like Fela Durotoye’s group. As much as we know we have to institutionalise the ideologies that brought everybody together, we also have to win elections to sustain our ideologies and party.”
One of the party’s presidential aspirants, Shina Byron, said, “When the time comes and we all agree to queue behind a candidate and an aspirant refuses, I urge you all to leave that person because he is not keying into the general agenda for a new Nigeria but has selfish agenda. I beg you all, the fight is not between Us but between Us and the oppressors.”
Another aspirant, Ikubese Thomas, said, “I will appeal to the press, if the press continues to project an image that we do not have a choice then they are a part of the problem and not the solution. I charge them to project the viable options we have and not the unfortunate ones we are saddled with now.” (PREMIUM TIMES)