Several high ranking members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State are now re-viewing their relationship with the party in protest against alleged mouth-watering concessions to Senate President Bukola Saraki and other members of the Reformed-All Progressives Congress(R-APC) by the PDP.
Such PDP stalwarts might defect to All Progressives Congress (APC), according to a report by The Nation.
Among them are two ex-Ministers, ex-commissioners, and a former Presidential Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters.
Some of the affected leaders are already in talks with the APC with a view to switching camps if the PDP structure in Kwara State is handed over to Saraki.
A stakeholders’ forum to dwell on the development might come up today in Ilorin.
Concessions by the PDP to Saraki, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and other defecting R-APC members include the party structure in Kwara State, the governorship ticket, two Senatorial seats and House of Representatives slots.
The concessions were recommended by the Liyel Imoke Contact and Mobilization Committee, an action which is said to have angered the PDP leadership who sought an audience with the National Secretary of the party, Umar Ibrahim Tsauri.
A top PDP leader in Kwara State said: “Some of our leaders are already in talking terms with APC as part of Plan B if the PDP leadership has made up its mind in handing over to Saraki.
“A lobby group constituted by a frontline APC leader is talking to the aggrieved PDP leaders. Among those being counted are ex-Ministers, ex-commissioners, a former Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters to the President and others.
“The development is as a result of the insistence of the PDP NWC to hand over the party structure of the party to the new entrants and the sharing of position that gives two Senate seats and governorship slot to Saraki’s camp and R-APC.
“We tried our best to get a fair treatment from the PDP. Two meetings have been held so far on the defection of Saraki and others to PDP.
“The first was on Monday at the residence of one of the former ministers and another on Tuesday in Apo legislative quarters to discuss possible option left for PDP members.
“We also had audience with the National Secretary of PDP who was non-committal on how the party will address the Saraki issue.
“At the end of the day, the PDP leaders set up two committees. One will open talks with APC and the other is to liaise with PDP leadership on the prospects of original members of the party.
“There is a stakeholders meeting coming up on Saturday where we will look at the reports of the two committees.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “Our leaders are unhappy because up till now Saraki has not deemed it fit to talk with anybody in the PDP in Kwara State believing that he has the national leadership of the party on his side.”
When contacted, a former Minister of National Planning Prof. Abubakar Suleiman, who is a frontline gubernatorial aspirant in PDP confirmed that negotiation is ongoing with the leadership of his party.
He said: “We are still talking to our leaders. Till we exhaust that, I won’t be able to tell you what our next line of action is. We shall be talking. One thing that is non-negotiable is the party structure and the gubernatorial slot.
“Barring any last minute changes, the tendency for mass exodus from the party is very high.”
Speaking with our correspondent, a former Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters to the President, Chief Makanjuola Ajadi, said: “Definitely, some PDP leaders may defect to APC in Kwara State if the National Chairman of our party, Prince Uche Secondus and his team do not address our observations.
A PDP leader in the state, Yinka Aluko said: “I am very much aware that many of our leaders and members are aggrieved because the PDP leadership had consultations with Saraki and R-APC without involving the local level. They have forgotten that politics is local too.
“As to whether some of our leaders will leave PDP for APC, the details of the MOU with Saraki and R-APC will determine their next step.”
