Saraki, Tambuwal Give PDP Conditions

Posted By: Yusuf Alli
Will the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) grant the request of
Senate President Bukola Saraki and some of its former members for
a name change before rejoining the party?
The party is wooing Saraki, Sokoto State Governor Aminu
Tambuwal, his predecessor, Senator Aliyu Wammako, former
Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and former Governor Danjuma
Goje (Gombe) to return to its fold in order to wrest power from
the All Progressives Congress (APC) next year.
They all left PDP in 2014 to form APC, which wrested power from
PDP in the 2015 elections.
Although sources said yesterday that the request of the APC
chieftains tagged as “game changers” had been “tactically
rejected” by the National Executive Committee (NEC), PDP
spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan claimed that no decision has been
taken on the issue.
Another APC chieftain and former Zamfara State Governor Sani
Ahmed Yerima, who was never in PDP, is being wooed by the
opposition party.
About three APC governors from the Northwest are also on PDP’s
radar.
But none of them, it was learnt, has made any commitment to
return to PDP. They were said to be weighing the options.
The name change request is said to be a drawback for the talks.
There are fears that changing PDP’s name may truncate the tenure
of the National Working Committee (NWC) led by Prince Uche
Secondus.
Some forces in the party also felt that the APC stalwarts should
not be dictating to a party they “left in the lurch to lose the 2015
presidential election.”
A top member of (NEC), who spoke in confidence, said: “We have
really opened up talks with Saraki and others. It is like we are
begging them to return to their roots as part of a larger
reconciliation policy in PDP.
”We want Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, Wammako, Goje and others in
PDP because we see them as “game changers. We are also
targeting ex-Governor Sani Ahmed Yerima of Zamfara State who
has always been in the opposition until the APC coalition emerged.
“We have had series of shuttles to them by some of our leaders
having discovered that they had been patching in APC. They have
been stifled and abandoned in the coalition called APC. We want
them to return to their natural habitat.
“The PDP has also initiated talks with three APC governors in the
Northwest, which is the political base of President Muhammadu
Buhari.”
Responding to a question, the source added: “None of these
leaders has given the PDP any commitment because they are the
weighing options. Some of them have given sufficient signal that
they might quit APC.
“If you look at some states, the associates of these key leaders
have started deriding APC. Some of them have even defected from
APC to PDP. So, we are positive.”
Another member of NEC said: “As part of the ongoing
negotiations, some of those defecting to PDP specifically
demanded for a change of name of the party.
“We were wary of the request for change of name in order not to
cause crisis in PDP. If we accede to their request, the Uche
Secondus-led NWC will technically cease to exist.
“The danger is that these new members might want the NWC
restructured in a manner that will give them a stake in the
leadership of the party.
“We believe we have conceded enough by granting a waiver to all
PDP returnees and new members. We have promised them equity
and justice too in all our dealings.
“Another concession is granting these bigwigs the control of PDP
machinery in their states in order to determine who to field for
the 2019 polls. We, however, added a caveat that they should
accommodate those who have been steering the affairs of PDP in
the affected states before their return.”
The source however added: “We won’t promise any of these
leaders automatic presidential ticket. We are firm on this.”
Ologbondiyan said the party was reaching out to top politicians
and leaders but declined to name them.
He said there were demands at the talks including the name
change.
Ologbondiyan said the party had not taken any decision on the
request.
He said: “Our party is open to discussion with anybody and
politicians of various ilk. We are talking to community leaders,
religious leaders and youth groups across the nation. A lot of
Nigerians are tired of this government and we are reaching out to
them.
“We are discussing with everyone on the need for us to lead the
coalition for the sack of this incompetent administration in Nigeria
and the dysfunctional APC.
“In the course of these discussions, various suggestions have been
made; some requests and demands naturally came up. We are not
tied to any decision yet.
“But as we speak, the PDP remains open to conversation. No
decision yet in respect of changing name. PDP is a structured
party and we have various caucuses that any decision will pass
through.”