President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party have
launched a plan to lure prominent members of the country’s biggest opposition
party, All Progressives Congress, into the ruling party.
An investigation showed that loyalists to the President had been meeting
with leaders of the APC known to be aggrieved with developments in the
opposition party.
It was learnt that the ruling party will capitalise on, among other
issues, the internal wrangling in the APC over an alleged plan to present a
Muslim/Muslim presidential ticket under a consensus arrangement for the 2015
election.
It was learnt that Christian leaders of the APC who were aggrieved with the alleged
mono-religious ticket and consensus arrangement had threatened to quit the
party, if the national leaders of the party carried out their alleged plan.
Even though the party’s spokesman, Mr. Lai Mohammed, has refuted the
claims, its members insist that the hierarchy of the party have concluded plans
to field a former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and a former
Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, as the party’s presidential candidates
through a consensus arrangement. Buhari and Tinubu are Muslims.
Apart from the controversial issue of a Muslim/Muslim ticket, some
members of the APC are also dissatisfied with the way they have been ‘sidelined
by the party.’ Others also want the party to hold primary elections rather than
adopt the consensus model.
Reliable PDP sources, said the PDP and Jonathan’s close aides had been
holding a series of meetings with some leaders of the APC, especially those who
defected from the ruling party to the opposition party, to seek their return to
the ruling party.
Five governors, 37 members of the House of Representatives and 12
senators on the platform of the PDP had defected to the opposition party in
2013. Several other national leaders of the ruling party, including
ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, had also joined the defection train.
Some of those alleged to be driving the PDP plane are the National
Chairman, PDP, Adamu Mu’azu; the National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki; and
the newly appointed Chief of Staff to the President, Gen. Oladehinde Arogbofa
(retd.).
Shortly after the report, a former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi
Fani-Kayode, who is known to be aggrieved with the alleged APC plan, paid a
visit to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday. Fani-Kayode, who is
believed to have held a meeting with Jonathan, declined to comment on his
reason for the visit.
It was further gathered that another aggrieved senior APC member,
Hannatu Musawa, was invited by the Presidency recently.
Her visit was said to have followed her alleged embarrassment by some
APC leaders during the party’s national summit on March 6, 2014.
It was learnt that Musawa was billed to deliver a poem at the event but
was allegedly cut short midway into her presentation.
When contacted on Friday, Musawa said, “Yes, there have been such
talks but I was not invited by the presidency.”
A reliable source in the APC who preferred anonymity, said, “Both
the Presidency and national leadership of the PDP are going about and holding
meetings with leaders of the APC. The belief is that those who are not happy
with the developments in the opposition party may consider defection.
“The President’s Chief of Staff, the NSA and the PDP National Chairman
are the major leaders of the mobilisation drive.”
The Chairman, Forum of PDP Chairmen in the South-West, Mr. Adebayo Dayo,
on Friday, confirmed to our correspondent that the ruling party was discussing
with APC leaders and members with a view of luring them to the ruling party.
Dayo, who is the PDP Chairman, Ogun State, said, “You will see what will
happen in the next few weeks. We are meeting with APC members and I am sure PDP
will become fuller.”
A presidential aspirant on the platform of the APC and Publisher,
Leadership Newspaper, Mr. Samuel Nda-Isaiah, also confirmed to our
correspondent that efforts were being made to talk some APC leaders back to the
PDP.
Nda-Isiah described the differences among APC leaders as “a teething
problem of a new party.”
He said, “Yes, they are going round. They are very desperate, after they
lost their governors and lawmakers (to the APC). I’m not sure they will come to
me.
“They have been trying to lobby Femi Fani-Kayode, a very strong member
of the APC. But I know Femi very well, he’ll just be polite. He has taken his
stand against ‘back-ballers’; he will not subscribe to such.
“I also know that they invited a female APC leader and I’m sure she’s
not going to leave the APC. They are calling other prominent APC members for
discussions. They are very desperate and I don’t know how that will make them
to win elections. ”