Atiku, Tinubu woo Shekarau with offers, deplete Kwankwaso’s base

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and the presidential standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, have been strategising to deplete the support base of the presidential flag bearer of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, ahead of the 2023 general election.

The Star gathered that Atiku and Tinubu are making frantic efforts to woo the former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, alongside his fans, to their fold to consolidate their base in Kano.

Shekarau, a senator representing Kano Central, recently dumped the APC for NNPP with his throng of supporters.

The Star gathered that Atiku has approached Shekarau with a proposal to lure him into the PDP.

It was learnt that the APC vice-presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima, also met with Shekarau ahead of an eventual meeting between the former Kano State Governor and Tinubu.

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The Star further gathered that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, had earlier approached Shekarau to be his running mate but was turned down.

Shekarau’s spokesman, Sule Ya’u Sule, confirmed that the three presidential candidates approached Shekarau, adding that contrary to media report of defection to PDP, a committee has been set up to deliberate and report back to Shura (council of Shekarau’s supporters).

Sule dispelled the report that Shekarau has decided to join the PDP.

“What is happening is that all these contestants have come to Malam (Shekarau). Obi wanted him to be his VP. Kashim Shettima was there and Bola Tinubu will see him again. Atiku has been coming.

“Perhaps they have an insight into what is happening in NNPP.

“Before we defected, there was arrangement on what they will give us. But this man (Kwankwaso) did not give us a single position. This man didn’t give us anything. There’s grumbling among our people.

“There was no decision taken. We had a meeting on Sunday a committee was set up and collected views from our people.

“The committee was mandated to go and work on all the views and come up with a position from now to Thursday,” Sule disclosed

Efforts to reach the NNPP Secretary in Kano State, Hamisu Ali, were unsuccessful as he neither answered his calls nor responded to messages sent to him.

The Star