sentences:  The party was formed by Harold Biriye and some southern minority leaders, principally from Degema, Ogoni, Brass and Western Ijaw divisions.The party entered into an alliance with the Northern People's Congress, at the time, the alliance was seen by some as one of strange bedfellows.However, NPC, which had federal ministers in Lagos, may have been courting southern groups to present a national outlook and to have alliances with groups close to trading posts and Biriye was looking for a powerful ally to guarantee seats for his new party in the Eastern region and on the boards of the Special Area commission.