NATIONAL leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, in Kano, on Thursday, said the party is on a tough and ruthless recruitment drive across the country.
Buhari, speaking after a meeting with the Kano State governor, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, at the Government House, Kano, said “we are here to convince you that we don’t feel comfortable without Kano in our fold. We are people-oriented party, our concern is the development of Nigeria and Nigerians.”
Speaking after about one hour meeting with Governor Kwankwaso, the interim national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, said “leaders of the APC decided to come in solidarity with you, because some of you have been persecuted in your party.”
This is just as a former governor of the state, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, a top leader of APC in the state, said he was not properly invited to the meeting.
But another national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, disclosed that the absence of Mallam Shekarau at the meeting would no cause any ill feeling, saying “he was not sure whether the former presidential candidate was available in town.”
Among other APC leaders who stormed the Kano Government House were Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, former Edo State governor, John Oyegun; Senator George Akume, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari, among others.
Chief Akande, at the meeting, said “on behalf of my party, APC, Mr Governor, we came to invite you to join APC,” adding that “a lot of development have been taking place in Kano metropolis, these are the kind of things we want the governor of APC to be able to do.”
Also in Dutse, Jigawa State, Akande called on Governor Sule Lamido to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and join APC in order to rescue the democracy.
Akande, during a visit to the governor at the Government House, Dutse, said the team was in the state on a recruitment mission, adding that “please come and join the race, because you are not where you belong.”
According to him “the visit to the state is for general interest of the country.”
Tinubu described Lamido as “one of those reliable individuals the APC can work with, because of his courageous stand.”
He said “now that the umbrella is tearing, it is time for you to return to where you belong,” adding that the team was on a rescue mission, to save the democracy from imminent disintegration.
Responding, Lamido described the visit as family reunion, while he warned against politics of tribalism, sectionalism, ethical and religion, saying it would not auger well for the democracy.
“PDP is sick. This journey is a difficult one that would generate a lot of issues,” he said, adding that “this is the beginning of the process and I’m ready to move with any one concerned with the progress and betterment of the common man and the country.”
However, Shekarau, , while speaking on phone with the Nigerian Tribune, said “they informed us at late hour and there is no way members of APC in the state can attend the said meeting.
“We were waiting for them as they said they would see us while coming back from their journey. We believe when we meet, they would explain to us, as members of the APC in Kano, why they did not give us the information earlier.”
The media spokesman of Shekarau, Mallam Sule Yau Sule, said APC members in Kano were not comfortable with Kwankwaso joining the APC.
“Already, the APC has a solid control in Kano and we would not be happy with anybody that would fight every member of the party,” a source said, adding that Governor Kwankwaso, in the past, fought with the late Abubakar Rimi, Aminu Wali and is currently fighting with PDP members in the state.
PDP blasts APC over romance with G7 govs
THE PDP, on Thursday, chided the APC over what it termed its desperate move to coerce aggrieved governors of PDP to its fold, as well the publicity that followed the discussions the affected governors had with the opposition leaders.
In a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, made available to newsmen in Abuja, the PDP described the action of APC as that of “a hypocritical party lacking in genuine ideology and principles.”
The statement said “by wooing PDP governors, the APC has also confirmed that it lacks true followership and electable materials at all levels.”
