The mutual distrust between chieftains of the New Peoples Democratic party (nPDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be taking its toll on the structures being put together by the leadership of the party, Sunday Sun can authoritatively reveal. Five of the aggrieved PDP governors and the factional group that have been operating under the aegis of G-7 and New PDP, respectively had last Tuesday sealed a merger deal with the leadership of the APC at a meeting held at the Kano State governors lodge, Asokoro, Abuja. Part of the agreement was the harmonisation of party structures in the states under the control of the five governors who dumped the PDP for the opposition party, with the APC structure to give the new entrants and their supporters a fair deal ahead of 2015 general elections. The affected states are Kwara, Rivers, Adamawa, Kano and Sokoto states. But a Sunday Sun source revealed that two of the governors from the North-west states have kicked against the nomination of former presidential candidate of the defunct CPC and leader of APC, General Muhammadu Buhari as chairman of the Harmonisation Committee. The Sunday Sun source further revealed that Rabiu Kwankwaso and Dr. Aliyu Wamakko, governors of Kano and Sokoto states respectively had told the national leadership of APC in clear terms that they would not be comfortable with General Buharis leadership of the committee and demanded for a fresh nominee. Their argument is that General Buhari has strong following in their states and may want to use the position to give leverage to his loyalists. But reacting to the development, the Publicity Secretary of the New PDP, Eze Chukuwuemeka Eze denied knowledge of any crack. I am not aware, I am out of town. Why not wait till Tuesday when the party will meet again and take a decision on that? Further checks by Sunday Sun revealed that before last Tuesdays consummation of the merger deal with the PDP governors, the mutual distrust played out in Kano States as the former governor under the defunct ANPP and now an APC chieftain, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau had initially vowed not to have anything to do with the incumbent Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso before the national secretariat of the APC sent an emissary led by former Edo State governor, Odigie-Oyegun to placate him. Further investigation also revealed that the same challenge was being faced by the APC in Sokoto State as the former governor, Attahiru Bafarawa and his loyalists were not willing to work with the incumbent Governor, Dr. Aliyu Wamakko. Meanwhile, the two remaining members of the G-7 governors who remained in PDP are set to meet with President Goodluck Jonathan today in furtherance of the peace process initiated by the Presidency and certain leaders of the party. Todays meeting will be devoid of the glamour and anxiety that have trailed the previous meetings between the aggrieved governors and the Presidency as only Sule Lamido and Babangida Aliyu, governors of Jigawa and Niger states are expected at the meeting. While Lamido had vowed not to leave the party, his Niger State counterpart maintained that he was ready to explore all avenues for peace with the Presidency. Also expected at the meeting are 16 other PDP governors to be led by Chairman, PDP Governors Forum and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio.
Posted on: Sun, 01 Dec 2013 23:18:40 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015