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From being a dream, Nigeria’s mega opposition party moved a major step closer to reality as the biggest one among them – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) – yesterday held its National Convention to ratify the merger with other political parties to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Upwards of 4,761 delegates from the country’s 36 states and the federal capital Abuja brought the Onikan Stadium, Lagos, venue of the convention to life with roars, banters and intermittent waving of the broom, the ACN symbol, by many of them.

Among them were host Governor Babatunde Fashola and the other CAN state governors, namely, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and Adams Oshiomhole of Edo. Two ACN governors were absent at the national convention: Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo (said to be outside the country) and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, who is mourning his deputy Funmilayo Olayinka.

Also there as a mark of solidarity were the leading lights of some of the merging parties such as Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) Chairman Tony Momoh and his All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) counterpart Ogbonnaya Onu.

Apart from approving the dissolving of ACN into APC, the delegates also approved the retention of the broom symbol as the APC.

Speaking at the convention, ACN National Chairman Bisi Akande declared that APC “has come to stay.”

“We must not entertain any weariness or surrender to sentiments or blackmail in this enterprise, mindful that merger is strange, new and unique in Nigeria and that the law did not envisage the ambush presently being placed in our ways. But we shall overcome,” he declared.

Other merger partners are expected to hold their national conventions in the weeks ahead.

•Photo shows APC chieftains at the convention . . .yesterday in Lagos.

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