Ahmed Surajudeen
A headhunting session has reportedly begun in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as chieftains of the party, led by its National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole,
has reportedly entered into secret talks with some presidential aspirants who failed to pick the presidential ticket of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The PDP, at its Convention last Sunday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, elected former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to bear its flag in next year’s presidential election.
Atiku defeated 11 other presidential aspirants who include the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo; a former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and the immediate past National Chairman of the party, Ahmed Makarfi.
With his victory, Atiku is thus set to face President Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential contest. Buhari was unanimously elected presidential flagbearer of the APC at the party’s Convention held in Abuja last week.
Top sources in the APC national headquarters in Abuja disclosed to our correspondent that Oshiomhole had reached out to Dankwambo, with a view to making the PDP strongman deliver Gombe to the APC in the next presidential election.
“What is on the table is that Dankwambo may not necessarily leave the PDP. What they are lobbying him for is to deliver Gombe to Buhari during the presidential election, while the APC will also cede the state to the PDP governorship candidate, who is Dankwambo’s godson,” a top source, who craved anonymity owing to the sensitivity of the issue, disclosed.
The source, however, added that once the arrangement sails through, Dankwambo could defect to the APC with a view to getting a plum cabinet appointment at the federal level.
Speaking further, the source said a similar emissary had been sent to Kwankwaso, to work for Buhari’s re-election in Kano, a state that has a reputation for producing highest numbers of voters in the country.
“But the immediate clog is the rift between him and the Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje. But that is being taken care of, as Oshiomhole has enlisted the help of Ganduje’s in-law, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, to work it out.
“We cannot underestimate the influence of Kwankwaso in Kano, as he is a crowd puller. That is why all efforts are being made to woo him back to the APC,” the source informed.