Former Kano State governor and Senator representing Kano Central Senatorial district, Ibrahim Shekarau has concluded plans to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
His planned defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to PDP is at the instance of the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who is the presidential flagbearer of PDP in the 2023 general election.
Shekarau recently defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the New Nigeria Peoples Party. His letter of defection was read by the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan on the floor of the red Chamber on June 29.
Shekarau was offered Senatorial ticket to contest the 2023 Kano Central seat by the NNPP when he was barely two months in the party.
It was gathered that the ex-governor has been politically inconsistent despite being the NNPP Senatorial candidate as it was alleged that he sneaked into Lagos to have a meeting with the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi to negotiate for running mate.
The discussion collapsed and since then, the PDP through its leaders seized the opportunity to woo him back to the party.
As a result, the NNPP constituted a 3-man Committee, including the Kano State governorship flagbearer, Alhaji Abba Kabir-Yusuf, the Senatorial candidate of Kano South, Kawu Sumaila and a candidate of House of Representatives, Kabiru Rurum, sought audience with him on Friday night in Abuja, but Shekarau refused to see them.
Sources close to PDP power brokers revealed that Shekarau has advanced his clandestine moves having met with
Atiku Abubakar; his running-mate Ifeanyi Okowa and; the national chairman of the party, Iyochia Ayu, and would soon announce his defection.
Senator Shekarau had on Sunday disclosed his move to his political advisory council, called “Shura Consultative Assembly”, at an emergency meeting.
Shekarau’s Consultative Assembly which is considered as his political ‘think tank’ will meet on Tuesday, 16 August, 2022 to perfect his defection arrangement.
According to a source, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar will personally visit Shekarau’s Mundubawa residence to talk to him formally as part of his exit strategy before the formal announcement.
On why Shekarau is planning defection after securing the NNPP Senatorial ticket, a Source said: “The truth is that Atiku has made some mouth-watering offers such as ministerial and parastatal slots to Mallam.
“This is in addition to appointing him as the North West campaign Coordinator and in charge of campaign finances in the region.”
Another source close to Shekarau, however, said the senator decided to dump the NNPP and abandon his senatorial candidacy because the NNPP failed to accommodate some of his associates.
Shekarau’s spokesman, Sule Yau Sule, could not be reached for comment at the time of filing the report.
