PDP woos Ikimi, Sherff, Osoba, others as APC crisis deepens
By Adetokunbo Fakeye and Kusoro Jeremiah
Simmering crisis that may tear apart, the Nigeria main opposition party, All Progressives Congress, APC, is brewing as strong indications emerged that former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali Modu-Sheriff along with other aggrieved leaders of the party,including Chief Tom Ikimi, are set to dump the party in protest over the outcome of its maiden national convention on Friday.
At the just concluded national convention of the party, Dr. John Odigie-Oyegun, former governor of Edo State and running mate to Malam Ibrahim Shekarau in the 2011 presidential elections, emerged as national chairman while Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, emerged national secretary.
NigerianEcho learnt that the emergent of the duo did not go down well with Sheriff, who reportedly sponsored the candidature of former foreign affairs minister Ikimi and Kashim Ibrahim Imam for the two prime positions in the party.
Sheriff and his group according to a report may leave the party as there are strong indication that, the group are being wooed by the ruling party.
A report said Sherriff and his group has described the outcome of the congresses held last month as a witch-hunt. All his associates including Kashim Imam, Umar Duhu and Tom Ikimi were not considered at the convention despite endorsement.
” What happened is a charade that is orchestrated by Buhari and Tinubu’s men who want to actualize their Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket and I can tell you that it is not realizable in the present Nigeria”, a source told NigerianEcho.
Also from the South West, the former governor of Ogun State and chieftain of the party, Chief Olusegun Osoba who has been at logger-head with the incumbent governor of the state, Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his faction like that of Sheriff are being wooed by PDP.
Senator representing Ogun East, Adegbenga Kaka, in an interview with a national newspaper said about his faction “For now, I can only speak for myself. I am sure we (in the Osoba faction) will meet, harmonise our position and make it known at the appropriate time.”
The Chairman of the PDP in Ogun State, Chief Bayo Dayo, according to a report confirmed that the party was discussing with the APC group led by Osoba.
According to him negotiations are always going on in all political parties. It was going on in the APC when our people were defecting to them. We have their people defecting now to our party in a very large scale now.
Osoba and his group including the sitting deputy governor in Ogun state boycotted the national convention of the party held three days ago an indication that, the group may soon leave the party.
National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, when contacted, said the party will respond to the grievances raised by Ikimi and the others in due course.