Although the next general elections are still four years away, but a script that played out in 2013, giving birth to the All Progressives Congress, which successfully edged out the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) two years later is once again being written. According to some principal actors in the know, the opposition parties, movements and forces are also plotting to come together to become a political party and slug it out with the ruling APC with a view to winning the presidential election. Even as the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it is not averse to such a merger. A source privy to the arrangement told Sunday Telegraph that the inaugural meeting of the steering committee is billed for this month. Our source, who pleaded anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing discussions, said the seeds for the idea were planted in June during the celebration of the June 12 anniversary this year. Our source said: “They have done that during the June 12 celebration at late M.K.O Abiola’s home in Ikeja. All opposition parties, all movements came together and agreed that credible alternatives should merge into one political party. “They have taken that step and it has been handed over to Pat Utomi, Oby Ezekwesili, Shehu Sani, Mohammed Fawehinmi, Prof. Kila and Issa Aremu. They have started consultations and it is still going on. “They will meet this month (December) for the inaugural meeting in Lagos. They are going to merge to become one party. They have all agreed and they are to merge and present a presidential candidate that they feel will be able to mount a serious challenge to whoever the APC fields in 2023. “They will go the way of the APC in order to present a formidable opposition to the ruling party. They are starting early, unlike what they did one year to the 2019 elections. All of them have been asked to merge and field one presidential candidate. Consultations are now at advanced stage.” An aide to a former PDP governor, weighing in on the matter, said: “They will steal people from here and there. Those ones are what we call conjectures. What will define the fight for 2023 will be the candidate that PDP brings forward while ethnic and geo political considerations will determine what happens. Is it Igbo? Is it Yoruba? It is going to be another North versus South because from the body language of the Northerners, they are not ready to let go. It is not going to be APC. “What they are going to do is to pitch the South West against the South East and then say well you are at logger heads, let us settle it for you. PDP members will come together under any other party, but the PDP will remain as a party. It may only wane in influence, but it will not die. There are some core areas that will always be PDP.” However, the main opposition party said though it has not entered into discussions with any political party but it is not averse to merging with any party or parties that desire such.