Barely two weeks to Nigeria’s presidential election, what can best be
described as high-wire politics is playing out in the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), with about eight of its governors now in a secret alliance with
sections of the leadership of the main opposition party, the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
Saturday Sun gathered that the PDP governors went into the alliance in their
individual capacity and not as a group in order to get the sympathy or soft
landing from the leadership of the opposition party should power change hands
after the February 14 elections.
According to an impeccable source close to one of the affected governors, “the
political climate is so cloudy and hazy that the leadership of our party (PDP) is
not showing any sign of confidence that we can win the coming elections,
especially the presidential election. The wise thing any smart PDP governor can
do in this circumstance is to play safe and have a kind of working
understanding with the leadership of the opposition party (APC) so that if power
eventually goes to them, one can actually feel safe and welcome in case there
is the need to change political platform immediately.”
Some of the governors, it was learnt went into the secret pact after the national
leadership of PDP denied them control of the party’s structures in their states
and as a result, their hopes to pick their successors and equally go to the
senate were dashed. Others, it was further learnt, had to go into the partnership
to save face after discovering that Buhari has huge following in their states.
The PDP had, in November 2013, lost five of its governors, in a major political
earthquake, to the APC. The PDP governors that defected to the APC then were
Mr. Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Alhaji Ahmed Abdulfatah (Kwara), Dr. Rabiu
Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Alhaji Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), and Alhaji Aliyu
Wamakko (Sokoto).
Two other governors — Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Alhaji Sule
Lamido (Jigawa) — declined to move with their colleagues to the opposition
party after they had shown initial signs of defection.
Over a year later, eight more governors who appear disenchanted with the party
may not be defecting formally but might be working to mobilize votes for the
APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari instead of the PDP
flagbearer, President Goodluck Jonathan.
According to some details of the alliance, while some of the eight governors
agreed to mobilize total support for Buhari, which will get him majority of total
votes cast in their states, others are working on giving minimum backing which
will enable the APC candidate to secure the required 25 per cent of total votes
cast in their states.
Saturday Sun gathered that two of the governors in the alliance are in the South
South region, two in the South East, two in North East and two in North
Central. An indication that all is still not well within the PDP emerged last week
when the Deputy Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto, and over 200
political office holders defected from the ruling PDP to the APC.
Announcing his defection to newsmen in Minna on Monday last week, Ibeto
said: “I am on my way to welcome our party leader and presidential candidate,
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at Minna airport for his campaign rally in Niger
State.”
One of the governors from a northern state, who justified the support he may be
giving Buhari at the polls, told Saturday Sun: “Whatever support my people and
I will give Gen. Buhari is informed by the reality on ground in this part of the
country. There is no need denying the fact that Buhari is a phenomenon in the
North and his kind of followership is fanatical. To secure this state from any
post-election violence and the anger of our people, we have to be seen as
supporting Buhari even though we are in different political parties. The situation
is also not made easy for us at the state level because of these Abuja
politicians who stay there and tell the president different lies which prevent him
from knowing the truth about the reality on ground.”
When contacted to have his view on the secret alliance, National Publicity
Secretary of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed neither denied nor confirmed the
development. “I am not personally involved in such talks but I can tell you we
are getting enormous support from every stratum of the society and in this
case, every support that will give effect to the change the nation so much needs
at this critical time is a patriotic effort”, he added.
Dismissing this as a ruse, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh
denied any deal between aggrieved PDP governors and APC leadership to ensure
victory for Buhari.
Speaking with Saturday Sun on phone, Metuh stated that the idea was being
orchestrated by what he called the APC propaganda machinery.
“We don’t engage in wishful thinking. We don’t indulge in falsehood or
propaganda. Even some of our governors that lost senatorial tickets are working
with us. All our governors are with us. So, how can they do a deal with APC?
We challenge them to mention our governors working against us, publicly. It is
APC’s wishful thinking”, he argued.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/?p=102566

Pdp falling down like London bridge

this APC political strategist they got from the USA has actually proved himself by hiring virtually all the bloggers in Nigeria. this is nice to see sha. but I guarantee you APC is only winning this election Online.