By Daniel Maduka
Despite carting home the ultimate prize in the political space of kano, courtesy of the Supreme Court verdict penultimate week which declared Abba kabir Yusuf as the duly elected governor of the State, indications have emerged that the New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP, rather than seeing its membership swell, may be headed for a depletion in its rank.
This is just as the rival All Progressive Congress, APC, is set for a crucial enlarged stakeholders parley on Thursday January 25 in the commercial hub of the Northern Region in continuation of its review of the affairs and state of the party, post Supreme court ruling on the gubernatorial contest in Kano.
The APC enlarged stake holders meeting comes up on the heels of a similar one held in Abuja on Saturday January 20 2024,which had in attendance, the National Chairman of the party and immediate past Governor of the state Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Deputy Senate president Senator Jibril Barau , kano APC gubernatorial candidate Dr Nasir Yusuf Gawuna and his running mate in the last general elections Murtala Sule Garo as well as members of the National Assembly from kano and top APC kano executives .
The Source News Magazine gathered authoritatively on Saturday, January 20 that the pack of the NNPP decampees will be led by mostly the members of the National Assembly who though owing to the hazy implications of decamping openly , are set to goad their political cronnies and foot soldiers to join the APC for now.
Their allies who are to join forces with the APC in no distant time are to water the grounds and represent their interests pending when the coast will be clear for them to formally join.
An impeccable source revealed that the major reason goading the intended decampees is the seemingly low electoral value of the NNPP in the 2027 political permutations.
“Whether some people appreciate it or not, permutations for the 2027 elections have begun. That being the case, most political actors within the NNPP family are pondering already their political future.
Most of them are facing the reality and hard fact on the ground- which is that the NNPP will not be able to promote their political aspirations in 2027,the way it did in the last elections .
It is clear that power will be domiciled in the Southern Region for the next 8 years . Therefore ,there is going to be a radical departure from the political dynamics pre 2023 general elections .
In 2023 , it was not all that clear as to where the pendulum will swing between the North and South ,thus Providing a some what level playing ground for political actors to push their aspirations without paying much attention to the viability of the platforms .
But in 2027, the scenario is going to be different. Parties like the NNPP will not be politically attractive to most political actors. That is why most of them are restrategising ,re aligning and calculating a head .
Even the promoters of the NNPP are aware that after achieving their ultimate ambition of wresting power in kano, they are not going to sustain it with the platform. Iam sure ,most of the top hierarchy of NNPP will not be left out in the gale of exodus that is mostly likely to hit the party in less than no time.” a source in APC revealed.
It has been gathered that the APC it self quite aware of the likely influx of new members into its kano fold has started putting machineries in motion to accommodate potential decampees from not just the NNPP, but other parties .
President Bola Tinubu is believed strongly not to be ready to toy with the electoral value of kano and as such is said to be ready to lend all the support needed to strengthen the APC in the state .
In a seven point resolution issued at the end of last Saturday meeting in Abuja and jointly signed by Alhaji Mohammad Garba ,Chief of Staff to the APC National Chairman and immediate past Kano state Commissioner of Information and Hon .Alhassan Ado Doguawa Chairman of House of Representative Committee on Petroleum (Upstream),the APC gave an inkling of its readiness to expand its membership books with its declared open door policy in the admission of new members.
” The stakeholders meeting also resolved that as a progressive and largest party in Africa and in line with the initiative of its National Chairman ,the doors of the APC will remain open to wooing new members from across the country and in the diaspora at groups and or individual levels.
“In order to enhance unity ,progress and development of kano state ,the stakeholders expressed commitment towards the pursuit of dialogue with individuals, associations and political parties ready to join the APC .” the resolution further stated .
Although, as at the time reporting, it was not yet clear what other things will form the agenda of the forthcoming kano APC enlarged stakeholders meeting, it is however clear that the issues of how to keep the party together and prepare the ground for new members will top the agenda.
