PDP Rebrands as Kwankwaso, Dogara, Saraki, Tambuwal, Plan To Return To PDP

Information available to 247ureports.com obtained from competent sources within the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] indicates that the opposition party maybe prepping for a major rebound judging by the recent behind the scenes political mechanizations ongoing behind closed doors.

Available to reliable information, many of the ranking political leaders of the All Progressive Congress [APC] who had cross carpeted from the PDP to the APC, are presently said to be in talks the leadership of the PDP concerning pathway to returning back to the PDP. Among the list of possible returnees are the former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the former Speaker of the House of Representative, Hon. Tambuwal, the present Speaker of the House of Representatives Hon. Dogara, the present President of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, among others.

Particularly, the former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso is reported to have concluded plans to return to the PDP. According to reliable information, Kwankwaso has formally approached the acting Chairman of the PDP, Secondus for a meeting concerning his intentions to return to the PDP. Our source indicates that the meeting was a fruitful one for both Kwankwaso and the PDP. It was agreed upon in principle that Kwankwaso would be given a suitable return way into the party – and that Kwankwaso would remain in the APC for now – until a later date possibly in 2017 when other APC would-be defectors would defect in large numbers into the PDP.

Kwankwaso, for all intent and purposes, is considered and treated as a PDP member presently, stated our source who also noted that the leadership of the PDP would always brief Kwankwaso on any move the PDP intends to make in Kano State. “He remains the leader of the ‘PDP’ in Kano presently” said the source who also added that Kwankwaso has indicated interest in vying for the office of the Presidency under the PDP.

Kwankwaso’s intention to vie for the office of the presidency was confirmed by a Kano political heavy weight who is familiar with the activities in the Kano political theater. The source who was a one-time commissioner under the Kwankwaso administration confirmed that Kwankwaso had already begun making consultations with his group and wider supporters concerning his pending move to the PDP. The source revealed that Kwankwaso remains bitterly unhappy with President Buhari in the manner he was relegated to the ‘side table’ – after having gained 1.9million votes from Kano – largely from the efforts of the former Kano Governor. “Without the 1.9million votes from Kano where would Buhari be today?”

It was understood that immediately following the electoral victory of President Buhari, he was quick to close the doors on Kwankwaso. Some informed sources claimed that Buhari was not too trusting of Kwankwaso due some undesiring clandestine activities on the part of Kwankwaso to undermine Buhari. So as Buhari got victory at the polls, he recoiled away from Kwankwaso – without including him in the setting up of government or in the discussions at the play on the national level. Buhari’s demeanor to Kwankwaso is reported to have angered Kwankwaso bitterly.

But a source close to a political rival of Kwankwaso in Kano [Shekarau’s camp], discounted the cold treatment meted to Kwankwaso by Buhari – as well deserving of a disloyal politician in the person of Kwankwaso. The source reveals that during the 2011 gubernatorial campaign in Kano that Kwankwaso was virtually cashless and ‘broke’. He needed assistance to purchase the party gubernatorial ticket in the PDP. “He had no money and nobody was willing to offer assistance” revealed the source who went on to add that it was the then President Goodluck Jonathan who came to him aid and financed the entire gubernatorial campaign and ensured victory for Kwankwaso – and he began Governor of Kano State in 2011. In the build up to 2015 presidential elections, Kwankwaso dumped the PDP and defected to the APC. While at the APC, he craft-fully generated 1.9million votes in Kano for the APC president candidate to eventually defeat the PDP presidential candidate.

Nonetheless, “we are willing to overlook Kwankwaso’s inabilities and shortcomings”, said a PDP national executive member to 247ureports.com when questioned on the behavior exhibited by Kwankwaso in the past on the area of disloyalty. He was clear to state that the PDP remains the party for all people and not for a section of the country. “Other members who left for the APC are gradually coming back to us to open talks on how to forge a way forward”.

Tambuwal and Dogara are said to have expressed their willingness to return to the PDP directly to the national executive council officially and unofficially. This is according to reliable information available to 247ureports.com which also indicates that Atiku has already concluded plans to announce his return to the PDP. “Some of his people have already decamped/returned as we speak”, said the national executive member.  Saraki had also met with the national executive council of the PDP indicating his willingness to abandon the APC and to return to the PDP. Saraki is reported to have made his intentions clear. He intends to vie for the office of the presidency come 2019 under the PDP. Kwankwaso is reported to have also told members of the national executive behind closed doors of his intentions to vie for the office of the President under the PDP.

Cursory investigation into the reason behind the sudden flurry of northern candidates into the PDP back from APC – show that the leadership of the PDP had agreed in principle to zone the slot of presidency to the north. In the same tone, the party has decided on zoning of the chairmanship to the south south geopolitical zone instead of the south west – which it had contemplated on zoning to – but dropped the idea because the PDP is considered weak in the south west region. The PDP governors are said to be happy with Secondus, the current acting top boss of the PDP. It is likely for Secondus to hold on to the post of Chairman of PDP on a more permanent basis. The other members of the national working committee are not expected to survive the ongoing rebranding by the PDP.