I’m Not Leaving PDP, Governor Lamido Says

The crack within the G7 Governors widened on Tuesday night as indications emerged that the Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has insisted he would not leave the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on whose platform he was elected, for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Also, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, said the PDP members in the House would collectively decide whether to defect to the APC.
The Abubakar Baraje led PDP, nPDP, and the APC announced their merger on Tuesday in Abuja.

Among the governors of the nPDP, who joined the opposition party were Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), and Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers).

Although he reportedly attended the meeting and left midway, the Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu, said in a statement issued later by his media assistant that he remained in the PDP and dissociated himself from the decision to team up with the APC.

Mr. Wamakko was reportedly not in the country at the time of the merger of the two groups thus could not be ascertained if he had also left the ruling PDP.
Mr. Lamido who spoke through his media aide, Umaru Kyari, in a telephone interview, said he was still in the PDP.

“Yes, His Excellency Dr Sule Lamido remains a PDP member,” Mr. Kyari told PREMIUM TIMES Tuesday night.
It was, however, gathered that at the meeting where the decision for the governors to move to APC was taken, it was also agreed that a delegation should be led by Mr Baraje to brief the Jigawa State governor of the deliberations.

According to a source, the meeting agreed that though Mr. Lamido was represented at the meeting by a senator, it would not be befitting to allow the lawmaker brief the governor who could not attend the meeting because of the visit of the Sultan of Sokoto to the Jigawa State.

Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Messrs Lamido and Aliyu’s decision not to join the APC now until early next year was strategic for the G7 governors.
According to the source, remaining in the PDP would afford them the opportunity to know what would transpire in the PDP ahead of the 2015 general elections and help them to strategise.

“All the governors cannot leave at the same time. It is strategic so that they will know what is going on in the PDP,” the source claimed.

Meanwhile, Mr. Tambuwal said on Tuesday that the PDP lawmakers in the House would decide collectively on whether or not to join the APC as the G7 governors.
In a text message sent by his media aide, Imam Imam, to PREMIUM TIMES, the Speaker said, “Lawmakers will decide collectively on if or when to defect. They have their internal process if they decide to cross carpet. Let wait and see whether they can activate the process or not.”

Culled from Premium Times