Dino Melaye Moves to ANPP; Harry Akande Dumps ANPP

Two weeks after he lost his bid to contest the presidency on the platform of the opposition All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), billionaire businessman, Harry Akande, resigned from the party in a letter dated January 28, 2011 to the ANPP national chairman, Ogbonnaya Onu. The letter reads: “This is to officially notify you of my resignation as a member of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) with effect from Friday, January 28, 2011. This decision was borne out of my desire to advance my commitment and resolution of making Nigeria a better country for the common man. Therefore, accept my exit from the party in high esteem while wishing ANPP the best of luck in its future political ambitions in our dear country.

“Once again, extend my sincere appreciation to all members for their cooperation for the 12 years of being a loyal member, as well as serving as the pioneer chairman of the board of trustees of the party.” Copies of the letter were sent to the national secretary of the party, the deputy chairmen in the south and north as well as the board of trustees chairman.

Next Move

Although Mr. Akande did not state which party he was moving to, our investigations revealed that he might be on his way to the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). He allegedly held discussions with the presidential candidate of the CPC, Muhammadu Buhari, sometime last year on his (Akande) political future. Mr. Akande, an indigene of Ibadan in Oyo State, was a foundation member of the ANPP. However, his plans to contest the presidency under the banner of the party did not materialize on two occasions. On January 16, he lost the party’s presidential primary election to the Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau. Mr. Akande secured 708 out of the 5,315 votes cast during the party’s national convention. Last September, Mr. Akande’s ambition to become the national chairman of the ANPP also crashed at the party’s national convention in Abuja. He lost to Mr. Onu by 1,479 votes to 3,945.

By Festus Owete

Dino Melaye Moves to ANPP

A House of Representative member and the leader of the legislative caucus group, known as ‘the Progressives’, Dino Melaye has announced his move out of the People’s Democratic Party to All Nigeria Peoples Party. Mr Melaye in an interactive session with journalists in Abuja at the weekend announced that he had resigned his membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and will be contesting under the banner of the All Nigerians Peoples Party (ANPP) in the coming elections in April.

According to Mr Melaye, the allegations by some members of the House of Representatives that the Speaker, Dimeji Bankole misappropriated N9 billi+on of an 11 billion budget of the House of Representatives from 2008 to 2009 will again be brought up for the House to investigate when members resume on February 8, 2011.

He alleged that Mr Bankole had worked with some members of the PDP in Kogi State to frustrate plans for a re-run election in the state so as to ensure that he does not return to the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Bankole has described the allegations by Mr Melaye as laughable.