There are strong indications that Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State may decamp to the Peoples Democratic Party between now and Monday.
A reliable source privy to the Governor’s planned defection confided in Daily Trust that the Governor, 23 members of the House of Assembly and some leaders of APC have met and resolved to leave the party for PDP.
The meeting, he said was convened at government house at the odd hours of Thursday and that it was attended by leaders of the party from the 23 local government areas of the state, including the party’s state executive committee members.
The meeting was said to have started at about 12 midnight and lasted till 6am on Friday.
However, another leader of the party who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the meeting was strictly for the Governor’s ” loyalists” in the party.
“Some leaders of the party were not invited because they are not loyal to the Governor,” he said
A source said that at the meeting, that the attendees reaffirmed their loyalty to the Governor and assured him of their readiness to follow him to PDP.
Confirming the meeting, the Publicity Secretary of APC in the state, Alhaji Yusuf Ilaris said they reviewed their three years stay in APC and found out that, the state had not benefited from the APC government at the national level.
“We therefore resolved to leave APC for PDP. In fact some of us had already declared their defection and I know the Governor , as well as the 23 lawmakers in the state will do the same anytime from now,” he said.
However, one of the leaders of APC who attended the meeting denied reaching that resolution.
He said he was not aware of the said resolution and he was around throughout the meeting that night.
The leader who pleaded not to be named said that nobody could decide for him where he should belong politically as he is matured enough to decide for himself.
One of the lawmakers in the state said the Governor is at the liberty to decide his political future, but doubted if the said 23 lawmakers, out of the 30 lawmakers in the state would all follow him to PDP.
Another lawmaker, Sani Yakubu Gudu, representing Gudu constituency denied that 23 lawmakers are defecting to PDP along with Tambuwal.
In his Facebook page, he said 13 of them have resolved to remain in APC and they would be committed to the ideology of the party.
“I deem it imperative to clear the air on behalf of the 13 Hon. Members of the State House of Assembly and inform the general public especially the good people of Sokoto State that, we are still members of APC and remain committed to course and ideology of the party, “he said
He added:” Therefore the public are to take note not to be deceived by the political prostitutes and misguided. We are Buharists. ”
It was speculated that Tambuwal was being wooed back to the PDP by the likes of General Theophilus Danjuma and the former President Ibrahim Babangida who were said to find in him the credibility to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari in the next presidential election.
