By Aminu Kutama
Former Governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau has rejected an offer by the presidential flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to join the PDP.
An aide to Senator Shekarau, Malam Bello Sharada, stated this to SAHELIAN TIMES on Tuesday, adding that the Shura Consultative Assembly, which is the highest decision making body of Senator Ibrahim Shekarau’s political structure has rejected PDP’s overtures for the senator representing Kano Central to defect to the party.
Sharada added that the meeting held on Sunday, August 14, 2022 at Shekarau’s Mundubawa residence, in Kano, considered a number of issues and offers made by other presidential candidates, not just Atiku Abubakar.
‘’You know Malam Shekarau had once contested for president under the defunct ANPP, thus, this status has made made a number of presidential candidates to meet him for consultations. And it is through such engagements, that he met Atiku and was offered the chance to defect to the PDP.”
He also corroborated that when the council met on Sunday, they discussed the engagements Senator Shekarau had with the presidential candidates and decided against accepting Atiku’s juicy offer.
Sharada, however, confirmed that there have been grumbles within the Shekarau Camp over perceived injustice and violation of trust by Kwankwaso. He recalled that during negotiations for the senator to join the NNPP, he was promised a number of automatic tickets for his loyalists, but Kwankwaso has failed to fulfill that promise.
“You see, we don’t have candidates for the House of Representatives, State Assembly going into the 2023 general elections. We don’t even have representatives in the party’s leadership, the automatic senatorial ticket given to Malam is the only promise that has been kept by Kwankwaso’s side.”
An Online Newspaper had earlier reported Mr Shekarau’s separate meetings with the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, his running-mate Ifeanyi Okowa and the national chairman of the party, Iyochia Ayu, over the rumored move to the PDP.
