Except for a last minute change, a former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, will announce his defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, following a mouth-watering ‘bounty’ allegedly offered him by the the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar.
Mr Shekarau, who represents Kano Central at the Senate, had officially defected from APC to NNPP in a letter read during plenary by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on June 29.
Despite securing the automatic senatorial ticket of NNPP, DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that Mr Shekarau had a meeting with the Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi on June 24 to serve as his running-mate.
It was gathered the talks with Labour Party collapsed after APC and PDP leaders began efforts to woo the former governor into their fold.
When NNPP leaders learnt about Mr Shekarau’s planned defection, a 3-man delegation comprising the NNPP governorship candidate 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 Mr Shekarau refused to see them.
Credible sources familiar with Mr Shekarau’s clandestine moves and separate meetings with the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; his running-mate Ifeanyi Okowa and; the national chairman of the party, Iyochia Ayu, said the former governor had “reached a deal” with the PDP and is expected to formally announce his defection soon.
