Crisis Brews In Kano APC As Shekarau Rejects Kwankwaso As Party Leader
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| Ibrahim Skekau and Kwankwaso |
The All Progressives Congress (APC) which is still basking in the
success of the recent defection of five Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP)
governors to its fold might have to act fast to stem the tide of
internal grumblings that might soon erupt from its members following the
decision of the national leadership of the party to make the defected governors leaders of the party in their respective states.
One of such members unhappy with the move is former governor of Kano
State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, who yesterday led a delegation of the
state APC to the national secretariat of the party in Abuja to protest
against the defection of the Governor of the state, Alhaji Rabiu
Kwankwaso, to the opposition party.
Shekarau, until the defection of Kwankwaso was the leader of APC in Kano
State but with the latest turn of events, he is set to lose that
position to his successor.
Shekarau, who was the presidential candidate of the defunct All
Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in the 2011 general elections, while
addressing some leaders of the party in Abuja, led by its Interim
National Chairman, Bisi Akande, and a former Governor of Lagos State,
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, recalled the efforts made by the opposition parties
in Kano State towards the success of the merger of opposition parties.
He said, “Being experienced persons in the politics of this country, I
believe you know very well the politics of Kano State. We have been
working hard to make the party succeed.
“Kano had five members in the merger planning committee, so Kano will
be the last state that will do anything to make the party fail.
Politics is about people. If we do not have people, there will not be a
party.
“We have come to register our displeasure with the leadership of the
party. What we are presenting is the feelings of the people we
represent. There is no sector of the party that is not represented.
“We have worked hard to make the party successful. I think when we
were forming the party, we had a vision of internal democracy in
building APC and if we cannot continue with that vision, then we should
forget democracy in Nigeria”, Shekarau said.
Speaking in the same vein, a former Chairman of the defunct ANPP in
the state, Sani Hotori, said APC was a product of patience and sacrifice
committed by opposition parties.
According to him, “Although we have not seen the Memorandum of
Understanding, media reports have it that the MOU has vested the
leadership of the APC of the state on the five defecting ‘new PDP’
governors.
“Mr. Chairman, as a consequence of these powers alleged to have been
vested on the governor of Kano, most members and supporters of our great
party in the state are voicing their worry and vehement opposition.
“They are saying that APC national executive had been so fixated in
its desire to have in its fold the five defecting governors of the ‘new
PDP’ that it ignored the peculiarities of Kano State and preeminence of
other founding leaders of the APC, influential party members and their
supporters”, Hotori explained.
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