Kwankwaso, Shekarau parley amid imminent defection

A former Kano State governor and leader of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Sunday paid a visit to the Senator representing Kano Central Senatorial District, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau at his residence in Kano.

Sources said the visit was a last-minute effort to cement their relationship as Shekarau is planning to join forces with Kwankwaso in the NNPP.

“We don’t have the details. But they had a fruitful discussion,” said a source.

Aliyu Isa Aliyu, Kano State financial secretary of the NNPP said “Malam Shekarau pledged to join forces with Kwankwaso to rescue Kano State” without disclosing further details.

The visit came after efforts from Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and presidency to pacify Shekarau to abandon his planned defection failed.

Shekarau’s spokesman, Dr. Sule Yau Sule, earlier told The Star that Shekarau would brief the press on his position on Monday.

Shekarau rescheduled his official declaration to NNPP from Saturday to Monday after pressure from Ganduje and the presidency to rescind the decision.

Kano deputy speaker, 13 PDP, APC lawmakers join NNPP

The Star reliably gathered from Shekarau’s loyalists that as part of efforts to lure Shekarau to remain in the APC, he was offered five forms for State House of Assembly and two for House of Representatives but Shura (Shekarau’s Think-tank) rejected the offer and opted to dump the party.

The source added that Shekarau returned to Kano Sunday morning and directed all to be fully prepared for the new journey ahead of Monday.

A source privy to the matter who preferred anonymity told The Star that Shekarau and the Shura have resolved to move to NNPP “although I can’t clearly tell you the key issues they agree on. But I believe it’s better than APC’s,” said the source.

If Kwankwaso and Shekarau join hands to confront the ruling APC in the forthcoming general election, it would be the first time the two Kano political heavyweights would go to poll in the same political party.

The Star