Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who last
year lost the post of the National Chairman of the opposition Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in a long battle that was finally settled at the Supreme
Court, will rejoin the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) this afternoon.
Sheriff, a former governor of Borno
State and three term senator, will return along with PDP’s 2015 gubernatorial
candidate in Borno State, Alhaji Gambo Lawan.
The APC National Publicity
Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed to Daily Trust yesterday that
Senator Sheriff would be received formally into the party today.
“The information I heard is that it
will be tomorrow (today) at 12(pm),” he said.
That the event will take place in
Abuja and with no officials of the party or government in Borno state is
indicative of the problem that lies ahead.
Already, a source close to Shettima
said the governor is also strategizing and has his plan B.
Daily Trust learnt that Sheriff’s
defection would have taken place yesterday but for the Federal Executive
Council (FEC) meeting which lasted till evening.
Again, the National Chairman of the
APC, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, who was billed to receive Sheriff, was also
engaged in a meeting with APC governors over congresses and national convention
of the party.
It was reliably gathered that
Sheriff and Lawan recently met President Muhammadu Buhari after which he
directed the leadership of the APC to accord special recognition to Sheriff and
accept him into the party.
Sources said President Buhari
discussed many issues with the former Borno governor and at the end gave his
nod for the defection.
He then directed Chief Odigie-Oyegun
and other leaders, including the National Secretary of the party, Maimala Buni
to personally receive Sheriff and his fellow defectors.
“The president had also directed the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha who is also
from the North East to be part of the event,” one of the sources said.
“But because of the two important
meetings yesterday, the reception for Sheriff and others could not hold but it
would definitely take place tomorrow (today),” he said.
Another source said after the
national secretariat of the APC received Sheriff and others today, “the
celebration would move at a later day to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital
where thousands of PDP supporters would be received into the APC.
“What would happen tomorrow in Abuja
is a mark of respect for Sheriff but I want to assure you that he had done all
the processes of defection from his ward in Ngala town in Central Borno. The
Borno APC is fully aware that he is coming,” he said.
Speaking to Daily Trust yesterday,
Alhaji Gambo Lawan confirmed that they would be received by the APC leadership
in Abuja today.
“Yes, we have moved to the APC; I
and former Governor Sheriff have left the PDP for the APC and there are
reasons.
“Sheriff for instance is only going
back home; he is the father of APC in Borno, he is a founding member of the
party because he partook in taking the ANPP as one of the legacy parties
that formed the APC.
“He only left the APC in 2015 when
he was unfairly treated during the sharing of leadership positions when his
candidate for the national secretary, Matawalli Kashim Imam was short-changed.
“So there is nothing new; Sheriff is
the face of APC in Borno and the North East; he is the one who enthroned the
incumbent governor and is behind the success story of many politicians.
“For me, I am not use to defection
but was compelled to leave the PDP because it has been hijacked by some few
people; the party has not reformed.
“And most importantly, politics is
local; Borno is APC and it is for President Buhari. Our joining the party with
millions of our supporters will strengthen it in Borno and environs,” he said.
There was no immediate response from
the Borno State chapter of the APC. The state chairman of the party, Ali Bukar
Dalori could not be reached at press time.
Sheriff and Governor Kashim
Shettima, who is the APC leader in Borno State, had parted ways for long.
Efforts to reach the spokesman of the governor, Isa Umar Gusau were not
successful as his telephone line was switched off. The state Commissioner for
Information, Dr. Mohammed Bulama could not also be reached.
But a member of the Borno State
Executive Council who spoke in confidence said they were aware Sheriff would
join the party.
“Yes, the governor is aware but you
should know that membership of political party is a personal thing. The
governor will not stop Sheriff from joining APC. You are all aware that the
governor did not stop him when he wanted to leave the party after the 2015
general elections,” he said.
Another source said Shettima is also
strategizing on the way forward. “He is a politician and he is not sleeping; in
fact he has his plan B but he will definitely not leave APC for Sheriff.
“You should know that Sheriff does
not have any electoral value; he could not secure a senate seat for himself and
with all the support he had from Jonathan, he could not secure any seat for any
politician either at the state or national assembly in 2015. It was Shettima
that delivered everything,” he said.
There were insinuations that a key
figure in the Presidency who had issues with Governor Shettima was instrumental
to Sheriff’s defection. Sheriff who was a three term senator joined the PDP
after the 2011 elections and got close to ex- President Goodluck Jonathan.
In the build up to the 2015
elections, he wielded enormous influence to the extent that at the height of
the Boko Haram crisis, the Maiduguri International Airport, which was closed
for months, was opened to allow Sheriff land with his personal jet for
campaigns.
A PDP youth leader in Maiduguri,
Umar Sanda, who spoke with our correspondent on phone, said they were aware of
Sheriff’s defection.
“Yes, he has gone but we are not
perturbed; many of us would not follow him; we would remain in PDP,” he said.
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