By Abdullateef Aliyu



A former governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, said yesterday that President Muhammadu Buhari will win the majority votes in the North but will not garner as much votes as he did in 2015.

Shekarau said his prediction was premised on the strength of the opposition PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar who also hails from the North. He, however, said Buhari will ultimately defeat Atiku in the contest.

In an interview with Daily Trust on the sidelines of the conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) in Ibadan, yesterday, Shekarau, a chieftain of the APC noted that the 2019 election would not be as simple as the 2015 poll.

But with massive mobilization, he said Buhari would win majority votes in the North and ultimately a re-election.

Commenting on the chances of Buhari and Atiku, he said, “I don’t think it is as simple as that. As a practical man, I wouldn’t say that it is totally out of place. You cannot wish away the issue of regional, tribal, religious influences in anything that you do about people. Both of them (Buhari and Atiku) are from the North.

“So I think it is going to be a very tall order in terms of the struggle that decides the votes in the North; there is no doubt about that. Buhari may not necessarily get all of the votes he got in 2015 but we are still very hopeful he is going to have majority votes, I have no doubt about that,” he said.

Shekarau who dumped the PDP for APC recently after the defection of his predecessor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, insisted that the national leadership of the PDP practically handed over the leadership of the party to Kwankwaso.

He said he was determined to sacrifice his presidential ambition for peace to reign in Kano State, noting that his members felt cheated by the way they were treated by the PDP leadership.

He said he was today vindicated because the PDP in Kano was currently disintegrated, adding, “A large chunk has left for APC, a large chunk left for PRP (Peoples Redemption Party), and many of them have withdrawn from participating in political activities.

“So what remains of PDP today? Just Kwankwaso and his Kwankwasiyya group and I am sure they are going to regret it in 2019.”

He said he was not certain if Kwankwaso was contesting with him in the Kano Central Senatorial election but noted that he was not a challenge to his aspiration.

Racoon:
The signs of the looming reality are more are more clearer now.SLS, Senator Abba, others have said it.Buhari is not only getting any fucking votes but must be kicked out of our national life.

SeverusSnape:
For sure na. You don't expect the North Central states to give him the same amount of vote like last time. Benue is now PDP, after all they passed through in the hands of herdsmen. Northerners like Kwankwaso, Saraki, Atiku, Tambuwal etc are no more in support of him like in 2015. So definitely, his votes in the north will reduce.

Omololu001:
nah so una talk say he couldn't defeat an incumbent president

Vuvaaenergy01:
G

chymer:
We all know it, but the question is, will he accept the outcome in good faith and not let out hell on the polity?

You Shekarau, and Kwankwaso are the people who created the myth of god-like followership for Buhari up North.

Even if he did not win the votes, but the continuous, and constant lies will give him the boldness to tweak the results to his favor.


Some youths down south still believe the lies of 9 million votes in kano and other NE States.

Buhari is the monster that you guys created, now he's turned to a Leviathan!

Keeping him at check, is gonna be an uphill task!