Why Lamido, Kwankwaso, Aliyu Abstained from NGF Retreat ©Thisday A crack may have occurred among the seven aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the arrow heads of the governors that formed the faction out of the mainstream PDP stayed away from the Sokoto retreat of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) led by Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State. THISDAY gathered that the division among the aggrieved governors may have arisen following their visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his Ogun State residence early this month, where the former president reportedly cautioned the governors against joining the All Progressives Congress (APC). Besides, it was learnt that Obasanjo was said to have counselled the governors to sort out whatever differences they have with President Goodluck Jonathan rather than contemplate leaving the PDP. A top source close to THISDAY said the Governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Governor Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Musa Kwankwanso (Kano), and Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) stayed away from the Sokoto retreat of the governors’ forum because of the fear that the retreat may rail road them into taking a decision to defect to the APC. The caution by Obasanjo to the aggrieved governors was said to have been received in bad taste by three of the governors, who had concluded secret talks with the leadership of the APC and only wanted Obasanjo’s “blessings” to carry out their formal cross-carpeting. The three governors of Rivers, Sokoto and Adamawa felt shocked that the former president was still hopeful that the PDP crisis could be resolved before the next general election. It was on this note that a post mortem of the meeting with Obasanjo which was convened by the Niger State governor was avoided by a few others and shifted to Sokoto where the NGF retreat was to provide a forum to take a common action. One of the seven governors who spoke on condition of anonymity to THISDAY, frowned on what he called the desperation of Amaechi to rail road others into a political suicide” which defecting from the PDP could amount to. He said this was why some of them boycotted the retreat and only sent in their deputies who could not take any decision on such delicate political consideration. It was further gathered that the Ahmed and Kwankwaso have problems with the decision to inherit the APC structure in their states, as there are opposition from APC members in Kwara and Kano States over inheriting the APC structures which were in the firm control of sworn political enemies, who would rather leave politics than submit to their leadership in the event of a decamping. While former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and his supporters hold sway in Kano APC and have vowed to resist moves by the national leadership of the party to force Kwankwaso on them, the Kwara State ACN governorship candidate in the 2011 general elections, Mr. Dele Belgore, maintains a strong structure in the APC which would resist the political machinery of the Sarakis. THISDAY gathered that coupled to this, is the subtle threat by the national leadership of the PDP to dissolve the Kwara State executive and appoint elements loyal to the Bamanga leadership if the Kwara governor and his benefactor, Senator Bukola Saraki continue their open romance with the opposition APC. According to the source, “This may account for why Senator Bukola Saraki may be playing smart by advising the Kwara governor to also shun the Sokoto retreat organised by the Amaechi faction of the NGF.” THISDAY gathered that the governors of Niger and Jigawa States who have been described as the ‘weakest link’ in the G7 governors prefer to heed the advice of former Obasanjo and still seek further peace options within the party while Governor Murtala Nyako and Amaechi may have indeed concluded plans to ditch the party and move in to the APC. Another factor being brought to bear by some of the G7 governors to distance themselves from the defection plans is the fear of law enforcement agencies swooping in on them if they continue in their open confrontation with the federal government. According to a source, “This fear is fuelled by the recent arrest of the two sons of Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State by the anti-graft body on allegations of criminal diversion of a sum of N10 billion belonging to Jigawa State Government. “In fact while the NGF retreat was holding in Sokoto, Governor Lamido was sighted in his Area 2 residence in Abuja at the weekend.”
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 05:10:10 +0000
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