Former Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano State appears to be frustrated and eliminated from political relevance in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lamenting that the PDP will crumble if he defects from the party.
Kwankwaso disclosing that he is yet to defect from the PDP, expressed that he is not happy with what is going on in the party. The former Kano governor had earlier in a media interaction complained that his leadership status was not recognized in Kano PDP. He protested that the state party did not give him a slot to nominate at least one member of the Kano State PDP executive council. He then threatened to leave the party.
Recently, the seemingly frustrated former governor was reported to be planning to defect to the New Nigeria Peoples party (NNPP) where he intends to secure the ticket fir the 2023 presidential election.
National Daily investigation revealed that Kwankwaso has stronger oppositions and bugger enemies in the All Progressives Congress (APC), and therefore, cannot defect from the PDP to the APC. Former Governor Ibrahim Shekarau and Governor Abdulahi Ganduje are both enforcing their individual leadership in the Kano State and none is willing to surrender that to Kwankwaso. Invariably, the APC is no option to the frustrated former governor.
However, Kwankwaso was of the view that his exit will be devastating to the PDP. According to the former Kano Governor: “There is no question about it.
“Where are the leaders? Who are the leaders? They will crumble.”
While Kwankwaso refuted joining the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the former governor admitted that his new political movement, the National Movement, has joined the NNPP.
Kwankwaso asserted that the NNPP appears to be a third force in the country, noting that the party will be stronger than the PDP and become the second force when he defects.
Kwankwaso complained about the PDP zonal congress in the Northwest, where he was schemed out of relevance.
According to him: “Ideally, I should be one of the most important individuals in a party like PDP.
“For many obvious reasons and from what we see, it’s like many people are turning my strength into weakness and that cannot be acceptable.
“Look at the scenario in the Northwest during the congress, from the things that were taken to Kano, the vice-chairman of the zone was supposed to be given to me to nominate somebody. Just like it was done in Katsina, Shema nominated what was allocated to him, in Kaduna Makarfi did that, in Jigawa Sule Lamido did that, in Kebbi Kabiru Turaki did that, in Sokoto Tambuwal did that.
“It is only in Kano that they thought I was too small to be given that position and that’s what triggered the whole thing, and everybody kept quiet and were so happy that maybe Kwankwaso is not needed in the party.”
The former governor is not hiding his intention to leave the PDP after the frustration. The major calculation may be the on finding a relevant party outside the APC and the PDP, the two major parties in the country.