DEFECTION: SAMBO IN CRUCIAL MEETINGS WITH N/WEST PDP LEADERS

WORRIED by threats to his political survival, Vice President Namadi Sambo has launched series of moves to stop defection of members from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna State and the North-West geopolitical zones.
A gale of defections had reportedly rocked Kaduna State in the last two weeks, with Sambo’s local government area said to be affected.
The party’s majorit in the state House of Assembly was also under threat, due to the cross-carpeting by some members of the legislature.
This came as unconfirmed reports indicated that Governor Usman Dakingari of Kebbi State was under pressure from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to dump PDP.
Governors of Zamfara and Sokoto states were said to be leading the pro-APC lobby, while Vice President Sambo and Governor Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State were pressuring Dakingari to stay in PDP.
It was also reported that former Governor Adamu Aliero was putting pressure on Dakingari to quit PDP, even as reports indicated that the governor was still undecided, following ongoing anti-corruption probe of his administration.
Nigerian Tribune learnt that the development had unsettled Sambo, especially as his detractors were capitalising on the state of the party in Kaduna and North-West in general to call for his replacement as vice presidential candidate in the 2015 presidential election.
Findings revealed that Sambo had, immediately after attending Chief Tony Anenih’s low key birthday in Edo State three days ago, rushed back to Kaduna for remedial actions over the state of the party in the state and zone.
Checks showed that three different levels of meetings were convened by the vice president between Monday and Wednesday.
Sambo was reported to have met party leaders in his wards and local governments, including leaders from his senatorial district, with the state governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Yero, in attendance.
State leaders of the party were also said to have met the vice president at the presidential lodge in Kaduna for several hours on Wednesday, with feelers from the meeting indicating that the focus was to determine how to rebuild the party in local governments affected by the defections.
Issues of reconciliation among warring groups within the party were also reported to be on the agenda, alongside what a source at the meeting called spirited efforts to mend fences between Governor Yero and forces opposed to him in the state.
As of the time of filing this report, Nigerian Tribune learnt that the vice president had commenced another round of meetings with zonal leaders of the party from Sokoto, Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi, Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna states.
Nigerian Tribune was told that caretaker committees of the party from Kano and Zamfara states were present.
Governors Ibrahim Shema and Sule Lamido were, however, absent at the meeting.
Conclusions reached at the meeting was, however, not available as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, officials of the party in the zone have assured assured Sambu that there would be no further defection from the party to APC.
Similarly, PDP officials in Kaduna North Local Government Area denied claims by APC that there was mass defection of their members to the state chapter of APC.
They said the reports of defection of 1,200 members of PDP from Sambo’s local government were false and meant to ridicule the personality of the vice president.
At the State House, Kaduna, on Wednesday, a delegation of PDP chieftains from Sokoto State, led by the deputy governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Shagari, assured that no member of PDP would defect to APC in the state.
Similarly, at a press conference on Wednesday, PDP chairman in Kaduna North Local Government Area, Alhaji Abdullahi Babawo, said no member of the executive council of the party in the area had declared for APC.
Source: Tribune