Huhuonline.com can report serious confusion and tension within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the continued visit of a high-powered delegation of opposition All Progressive Party (APC) to aggrieved members of the ruling party in the last few days.
The jitters started when the APC members, including its national leaders, Asiwaju Tinubu and Muhammadu Buhari as well as Interim National Chairman, Bisi Akande paid a visit to Sokoto State Governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko in the guise of attending the commissioning of the state-owned university.
Unknown to many, it was an opportunity for the party, which is preparing to start registration of members, both new and old, to woo the governor. A source within the APC told Huhuonline.com that the move to get the aggrieved governors in the PDP into the APC started days after the arrival of Tinubu from a medical trip abroad.
“Since then, we started mapping out strategies and watching closely how things unfolded,” he said. “The PDP hierarchy thought it was dealing with the governors, but these same governors are leaders in their own standing and have followers. I am quite sure this is where providence would smile on the APC and we are latching on every straw to achieve our goal.”
So far, the APC, apart from holding talks with the Sokoto State governor, has also visited Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido and his Kano State counterpart, Rabiu Kwankwaso. On Friday, the train moved to Adamawa, where it met with Murtala Nyako behind closed door.
A member of the train told Huhuonline.com that APC appears to have been able to convince Governor Nyako.
“We are winning the battle,” he said on phone. “The governor, like his colleagues that we have met, seems convinced and we are hopeful that when the registration commences, we will witness a turnout that would give the PDP a run for its money.”
The source believes that it would be easy to get the Adamawa State governor to cross over, especially as he also had personal issues with President Goodluck Jonathan apart from the collective grievance against his party. Also, loyalists of the governor had months ago defected to the party with the governor’s support.
Bisi Akande himself confirmed this in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, when he said their mission was a recruitment drive aimed at changing Nigeria for the better. According to him, Nigerians are now tired of the injustice and impunity across the land and have resolved to change the situation.
“I can assure you that in APC, internal democracy will be enshrined. Please let’s not make mistake this time around. The time is ripe for change,” he said, just as he also confirmed that discussions with other governors have been very fruitful ahead of the proposed merger with the aggrieved members of the PDP.
While pleading with Nyako to join the APC, Buhari said his party is pursuing a mission to salvage the country and he nees more hands to achieve this. Though Governor Nyako said he is still with the PDP, he expressed concern over the state of the nation, emphasising that the PDP is sick but further expressed hope in the ability of the progressives to salvage the state.
“If APC means making Nigeria a key player in Africa, or saving Nigeria, securing Nigeria, I don’t mind being in any political party,” he concluded.
It was learnt that the APC is enticing the governors with so much powers over the party structures in their states, should they finally agree to switch tents. The party is also proposing giving the governors an opportunity to make critical contributions to major decisions and choices of the party
The governors, according to our sources, are giving a thought to the decisions reached at the meeting with the opposition, especially as they have nothing to lose again politically, being second term governors.
On the other hand, Huhuonline.com understands that the meetings with the governors have been sending serious jitters down the spine of the hierarchy of the PDP. The party has held several meetings to fashion out the best ways to reach out to the governors, but the conditions of the governors seem to be the hindrance to the much needed peace.
“Sincerely, we are not happy that things are turning out this way. Some of us tried to advise and warn our people against treating the governors like lepers, but the president preferred to listen to wrong advice from those he thinks are helping him,” a PDP chieftain told Huhuonline.com from Abuja on Friday evening.
“Some of us are tired of the situation. See a person like Amaechi. What was his sin? Why would you allow him to pass through such persecution simply because you hear that he wants to advance his political pursuit? This is not how to play politics. We talked but who would listen?
“Now, just like I warned then, Amaechi has joined the perceived enemies, who the president should have been pampering to achieve his aim. For me, I think the situation has gone beyond redemption and I am only watching, too. If the governors are convinced and move, then we are doomed. Be sure that many of our members would follow in the defection and what then would be our fate?
“A president does not become an enemy to people like we are witnessing now. Today, you made yourself an enemy to Chief (Olusegun) Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babangida and many more. And you think they would support you? Believe me, 2015 is going to be interesting.”
