By OLA AJAYI

IBADAN —THE presidential candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP,  in the 2011 elections, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, has said parties in the on-going merger talks will lose their identities and assume a new name.

He expressed optimism that the talks among the Congress for Progressive Change, Action Congress of Nigeria, Action Congress of Nigeria and ANPP would be successful at the end of the day.

Alhaji Shekarau spoke, yesterday in Ibadan, during a meeting with members of the party in the South-West.

*Shekarau

He argued that unlike in the past when merger talks failed, there were assurances that this one would work.

The former Governor of Kano State said a new constitution would be drafted which the parties would use.

He explained many Nigerians that the talks were not against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  saying, “This idea is not about merging to dislodge the  PDP, but to provide good governance. We just don’t want to dislodge the PDP; it is about its policies and programmes.”

He alluded to the tenure of ormer President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, saying, he introduced the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy, NEEDS, and forced states to adopt it but it was shelved by Yar’Adu’a and he started Seven-point Agenda.

“Again, Jonathan, who is also a PDP member jettisoned that and introduced the Transformation Agenda.

“The merger is about dislodging people who do not understand Nigeria, people who are inconsistent and people who run disjointed programmes and policies. So, it is going to be a new party, new programmes and a new identity. It is a serious matter. We will agree on a common focus.” Shekarau said.