Touted to be a prayer session for the late mother of former PDP Chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Ilorin yesterday received some of the of the aggrieved APC members [Reformed-All Progressives Congress(R-APC)] and other bigwigs in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Prominent politicians in the gathering include Senate President, Bukola Saraki;Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike and his counterpart in Benue, Samuel Ortom among others.
According to sources at the meeting, though some of the politicians had joined the eighth Fidau prayer for Baraje’s late mother, Aishat, they later converged at Saraki’s house, where they were joined by other politicians, including former governor of Jigawa, Sule Lamido; PDP’s chairman, Uche Secondus and others who reportedly could not attend the Fidau.
Among those who attended the meeting behind closed doors included the Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed; Baraje, who also led the new PDP bloc of the All Progressives Congress; and the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, among others.
TheNewsGuru.com gathered that the politicians discussed strategies for the speculated defection of Baraje, Ahmed, Saraki and his loyalists from the APC to the PDP.
Also present at the meeting were the Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; Senator Lawal Shuaibu; and Senator Barnabas Gemade.
A source who spoke to TheNewsGuru on anonymity ground, disclosed that the PDP had agreed to hand over the structure of the party to Saraki; sharing of party’s position on 60-40 or 40-60 ratio; and the concession of two Senate seats and the governorship slot to Saraki’s camp and R-APC in Kwara.
Reactions from the stakeholders:
PDP National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan said: “We only went to Ilorin to commiserate with Alhaji Kawu Baraje. He is a Nigerian and we are open to all Nigerians. We have the interest of every Nigerian at heart. We also went to Sokoto State to commiserate with the governor and the people of the state but you are not asking questions along this line.”
“It is a brotherhood meeting. Our leaders met and they shared thoughts on the future of Nigeria and how to improve on the living condition of Nigerians and how to make Nigeria a better place for all to live in.
“It was a convergence of notable Nigerians. Do not forget that the essence of today was to commensurate with Alhaji Baraje on the death of his mother.
“When politicians meet, they must discuss politics and how to improve on the standard of living of Nigerians. It will not be wrong to say that some issues were discussed.”
On Saraki’s planned return to PDP, he said: “I do not know when Saraki and Baraje will publicly declare their defection. I cannot speak on that.”
Ortom, who also visited Ahmed, told reporters that the Benue State APC issued him a red card and he hoped that the national leadership could reverse the decision. He added that the national leadership is the larger body capable of upturning the decision of the state chapter.
Wike said: “We came here to sympathise with Alhaji Abubakar Baraje over the death of his loving mother. We prayed for the family.
“Baraje is a politician and you expect politicians to rally round him at this time that he lost his mother.”
He added: “When you see your colleagues, you need to compare notes and do peer review on what you are doing in your respective states.
“However, we came purposely to engage in the eight days prayers for the late mother of Abubakar Baraje “.
Ahmed said he was yet to take a decision on his political future.
In a statement by his spokesman Dr. Muideen Akorede, the governor said he remained in the APC. “The presence today in Ilorin of Senate President Bukola Saraki, PDP Chairman Prince Uche Secondus, Governor Samuel Ortom, Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Governor Nyesom Wike, ex-Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Senator Lawal Shuaibu, Senator Barnabas Gemade and other prominent political figures was for the burial rites of the late mother of respected politician, Alhaji Kawu Baraje and was not for the purpose of a political realignment.
“While I have not been briefed on any planned defection, I am aware that my principal and other political leaders in the state are gradually being shown the way out of the APC.”
But Secondus’ shuttle to Ilorin caught Kwara PDP leaders unawares. They could not receive him.
State Chairman Chief Iyiola Oyedepo said: “Actually, the National Chairman and the National Organising Secretary spoke with me when they were in Sokoto about their trip to Ilorin.
“They wanted me to meet them at the airport but I was out of town. They told me they were coming to commiserate with Baraje.”
In Abuja, Senator Shehu Sani said: “I can confirm we are talking with the PDP and we are talking with the APC and what is pushing us out of the APC is inherent injustice, marginalisation and inequity that have visited us. We have been treated badly by the party in the last three years. But we appreciate the fact that we have a chairman, in the person of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
“We are also exploring options of getting out of the party or remain in the party. So, the issue is still on discussion. Our decisions will be in a matter of weeks and not in the matter of months where we are going to review whether we will remain in the party or we will go to cross the red sea out of Egypt to the promised land.
“It is very clear that we should vote for people, irrespective of their political affiliation, those who can deliver us out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. We should move away from that thinking that one political party can solve the problems of Nigeria.
“The challenge is the crisis and the problems we face as a nation today cannot be addressed without a national consensus and without a collective approach to our national problems.
“In a situation where we think the President has monopoly of wisdom and the solution to the problems, we are simply deceiving ourselves. President Muhammadu Buhari alone cannot solve the problem of Nigeria. It is important for him to be honest and understand that. It is also important for the APC to understand that.”