The Group of Seven Governors who broke away from the Peoples Democratic Party to form a splinter group called New PDP has reached a secret agreement with the opposition All Progressives Congress on the 2015 election.
Though the seven governors had been talking with the APC leaders for sometime, they, however, finally decided to enter into an agreement with the leaders of the opposition coalition after their last reconciliatory meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan.
The governors are Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano, Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto, Sule Lamido of Jigawa and Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara. it was learnt that after their last meeting with the President, the dissenting governors came to the conclusion that the President was not serious about peace in PDP.
Two reasons informed this conclusion, according to sources close to the governors.
One, after the meeting, President Jonathan carried out a cabinet reshuffle and removed nine ministers, mostly those nominated by the dissenting governors and President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is also perceived to have fallen out with the President.
Among the ministers axed were Prof. Ruqqayatu Rufa'i (Education) who was nominated by Lamido, Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs) and Mrs. Olusola Obada (Defence), both of whom were nominated by Obasanjo, and Ms. Amal Pepple (Land and Urban Development) who was said to have pleaded with Jonathan to mend fences with Amaechi.
The other reason, according to sources, is that a day after the Sunday, September 15 meeting where it was resolved that both parties should give peace a chance and continue reconciliatory meeting on October 7, the Kano PDP executive committee was dissolved without consulting Kwankwaso.
A new executive council was constituted with Kwankwaso’s opponents and some of the people he had defeated, including son of late General Sani Abacha, Muhammed Abacha, given a pride of place.
'It became clear to Kwankwaso and the other governors that the President was not ready for peace,' one of the sources added.
Besides all that, however, it was further learnt that the governors were also moved to take their decision because they decided against going back to PDP and facing President Jonathan, knowing full well he would move ruthlessly against them the way he had checkmated former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva.
'So they resolved that there is no turning back. They resolved to eat the humble pie and work with APC,' another source said. Following their discussion with the opposition party, the seven governors will join the APC jointly at a strategic time and integrate their structures with those of APC.
At the time of the primaries, it was learnt that based on their discussions with APC, the New PDP governors would choose one of them to contest for APC's presidential ticket along with other candidates from APC.
'If a candidate from the New PDP, ostensibly from the North, wins, he will pick a running mate from the APC fold in the South-east. And if an APC candidate, ostensibly from the North, wins, the New PDP will provide a running mate from the South-east,' another source from the New PDP explained.
The two sides, APC and New PDP, are said to have, however, agreed that former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Tinubu, could run for the Senate and vie for the position of Senate President from the stable.
How Minister of Sports Abdullahi Was Saved
The Minister of Sports Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi was retained because the day the cabinent reshuffle was effected was the same day Blessing Okagbare who won silver medal in 200 metres final at the 2013 World Athletics Championship in Moscow was honoured at the Presidential Villa. Okagbare received a cash gift of N3m from President Goodluck Jonathan and the Sports Minister was generally praised on that occasion for the revolution he has brought to bear on sports.
The Sports Minister is a nominee of former Kwara State governor, Senator Bukola Saraki, who is in the splinter group New PDP and perceived to be opposed to Jonathan’s 2015 ambition. Abdullahi's name was said to be on the list of ministers to be removed on the day Okagbare was celebrated. But President Jonathan, it was learnt, had a change of mind because he felt it would be incongruous for the minister to be removed while being praised for good performance. Thisday
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