Moves by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to woo back its disgruntled members has suffered a setback as two former governors of Kano state, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Ibrahim Shekarau have settled their differences ahead of the 2019 elections.
Former governors of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and Mallam Ibrahim Shekara
The meeting which took place in the Asokoro residence of Shekarau was the first in eight years between the erstwhile political associates, who parted ways after Shekarau defied the odds to emerge successor to Kwankwaso in the 2003 general elections.
Although, the duo met behind close doors, our correspondent gathered that the two leaders agreed to put the state and the PDP above their respective interests even as they resolved to bring Kano back to the fold of the PDP.
Shekarau who remained the leader of the PDP in Kano upon his defection in 2014 was said to have turned down overtures from the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, whose no love lost with Kwankwaso is likely to cost the APC the state in 2019.
Given the sheer number of defectors Kwankwaso attracted to the party, an arrangement that would see the lawmaker representing Kano Central keep 51 per cent stake, with Shekarau taking 49 per cent is said to have been concluded.
A source who simply identified himself as Baashar told this correspondent that the two heavyweights have resolved to work for the PDP, saying their togetherness may pose a huge threat to the ruling party in the state.
“Questions have been asked whether the two can work together but this meeting has resolved all that. Both the governor (Ganduje) and the President may walk a tight rope in Kano in their search for votes,” he said.
Losing Kano, a traditional stronghold of Buhari may cause a new trouble for the APC as the impressive 1, 903, 999 votes garnered by the then candidate Buhari contributed largely to his victory in the 2015 general elections.
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