…Dumps APC senatorial form
BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU, ABUJA
Indications have emerged that a former two term governor of Kano State and serving Senator representing Kano Central, Mallam Ibrahim Shekerau, may dump the All Progressives Congress and join the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
He is also said to be ready to dump the expression of interest and nomination forms for Senate which he had earlier collected.
His former colleague and two term governor of the state, Sen Rabiu Kwankwaso, is the national leader and presidential aspirant of the party.
The Point gathered exclusively that both former governors have become inseparable in order to join forces to wrestle the state from the claws of the incumbent governor, Mallam Abdullahi Ganduje, who has been accused of hijacking the APC from the grassroots, who are the original owners.
The former governor’s closed associate, who confided in The Point, said the senator is disgusted with the actions of the governor in both the Party and state affairs and added that, he can no longer stomach the excesses.
He disclosed that the factions created by the two political heavyweights has left the state’s chapter in ruins and noted that several efforts by party chieftains at the national level to settle the differences had created more crises than imagined.
According to our source, “The APC NWC promised Mallam Shekerau and other former governors, who are serving senators, automatic return tickets to the Senate. This was one of the conditions to settle the rancour but unfortunately, they are not sincere.
“Mallam Shekerau had accepted to sheath his sword and join forces with Governor Ganduje to ensure that Kano remains an APC state; he accepted the offer of automatic return ticket to the Senate but after buying the expression of interest and nomination forms for the Senate, the APC still sold same to some aspirants from same senatorial District.
“So, where is the place of sincerity in all the negotiations? Mallam Shekerau is a political heavyweight as far as Kano State politics is concerned. You cannot be toying with him when many parties have left their doors open for him. They know what his influence can do in Kano elections.
“I believe the APC is being deceived by power of incumbency but they are wrong.”
The Senator’s close associate also revealed that the followers of the two former governors are already holding meetings to finalise the pact and added that their reunion is the talk of the town in the state.
He said the NNPP has shared elective positions in Kano State between them and the Senate ticket of Mallam Shekerau has been given to him, the House Representatives and Kano State House of Assembly tickets were all shared.
“APC is not sincere to Mallam Shekerau but what the party failed to understand is that the combination of Kwankwaso and Shekerau remains unbeatable in Kano State. If they allow this to happen, then NNPP will take over the government house of the state in 2023.”
Meanwhile, an insider at the Buhari House National Secretariat confirmed that the Party hierarchy is aware of the moves but added that something is being done to avert that from happening.
“It is true. The secretariat knows about this and they are on it. Everything is being done to prevent his defection and I am sure he will remain in the Party. We are aware that some of his loyalists have defected to that Party but he has not, he is still in APC that I can guarantee.”
Recall that Senator Kwankwaso revealed during the Party’s NEC meeting in Abuja recently that some prominent members of the two major political parties are already queuing to join the NNPP.
