The Senator representing Kano Central Senatorial district, Ibrahim Shekarau, has expressed disappointment over the failure to get fair representation in the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, after defecting from the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.
Shekarau stated this in a meeting with his Shura political council and others held at the Kano Foundation in Kano state North-Western Nigeria.
He said after defecting to NNPP with many followers, only he was given a form for the Kano Central Senatorial district to the negligence of others.
He said on joining the party; a committee was formed and given three days to harmonise and allocate seats between his followers and the followers of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; after three months, they did nothing despite his efforts.
He said it is quite disappointing for Senator Kwankwaso to have claimed in a Radio programme that they joined the NNPP very late, considering the INEC deadline on a window for submission of names of candidates, hence the reason for not allocating enough seats to them.
“Before my formal defection to NNPP, I submitted a proposal on contestants for my followers and i. Afterward, a three-man committee chaired by the party’s governorship candidate, Abah Yusufu, was set up to look into the proposals and harmonize them with that of Kwankwaso’s group.
“On the 5th of May, 2022, when I formally defected from APC to NNPP, Kwankwaso gave me the Kano Central Senatorial district form to fill, saying I’m the first to be attended to. When I asked about the others, he said they would be given afterward.
“This never happened even after a series of consultations with him and promises.
“I called his attention when contestants’ names were released in Kano without our contestants.
“He promised substitutions could still be made for fair representation from both sides before the INEC’s closing date, yet nothing was done.
“This matter started in May, and for three (3) months, they did nothing until INEC closed its window on the submission of candidates, only for him to go on air and announce that we joined the party late. Hence the reason for not being allotted more seats. You can see that it is an act of deception.”
On what next, he urged his followers to remain calm as the next direction would soon be announced.
He equally called on the followers to ignore rumours about receiving millions of Naira to woo him to join other political parties.
“I can never cheapen or betray your trust for any amount of money,” he said
Ibrahim Shekarau was a two-term Governor of Kano state and a former Minister of education.
S.O
