Amid the ongoing challenges within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, has reportedly indicated plans to pursue his re-election under a different political platform.
To chart a way forward, the governor Dauda Lawal convened an emergency meeting with select cabinet members and key stakeholders for consultations and guidance.
According to a source, the meeting was held on Friday night at the Rescue Hall within the Government House in Gusau. Those in attendance reportedly included the state party chairman, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, the Secretary to the State Government, and several party elders, where strategic decisions were said to have been discussed.
After months of speculation and denials by the governor’s close aides, some All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains said the governor had made his intention known to join the APC.
A chieftain of APC, Musa Mailaya Mada, had disclosed that the governor had reached out to some APC leaders in Abuja about his plan to defect to the ruling party.
According to the source, the Friday emergency meeting, which the governor Dauda Lawal summoned, ended any speculation associating the state governor with defection.
He explained, “the governor on Friday night invited stakeholders. He told them that he called for the meeting to discuss the way forward as the recent timetable released by INEC shows that political activities will commence in April.”
It was during the meeting, according to the source that he told the stakeholders that he intends to remain in the PDP despite the crisis, saying he will wait for the outcome of the appeal before he will decide on the next line of action.
The source explained that participants at the meeting unanimously asked the governor Dauda Lawal to leave the PDP, but what was not resolved was the political party.
Sources privy to the meeting, said there were divergent views, as some stakeholders insisted that the governor should remain in the party in view of the recent court victory which confirmed the Turaki-led executives as the leaders of the party.
Other stakeholders contended that the governor should defect to the APC in view of the fact that he is the only man standing in the North West zone as all the six governors are members of the APC.
According to the source, those pushing for the governor to defect to the APC stated that the governor should take advantage of the current division in the state chapter of the party, which will put the governor in an advantageous position.
Other stakeholders advised that the governor Dauda Lawal should defect to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), stating that it appears the masses are not with the ruling APC, believing that the ADC is the strongest opposition party in the country.
Even though there’s no official confirmation from the state chapter of the PDP, a party stalwart, Kabir Amadu Mai Palace, stated that the meeting agreed for more consultations with other party members at the ward level and local government.
The source said immediately after the Sallah (Eid al-Fitr), the governor will make a pronouncement following a strategic committee that will be formed to pave the way for the governor’s defection.
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