•Shema’s faction says no sign of reconciliation
Francis Sardauna in Katsina
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Katsina State, led by a former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, has said there
is no hope of an end to the protracted leadership tussle rocking the party in the state.
This development further widened the squabbles between the camp of the former governor of the state and the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Yakubu Lado.
The two camps have been at loggerheads over the removal of Salisu Lawal Uli as the acting chairman of the PDP and subsequent appointment of Lawal Magaji Danbaci as the substantive chairman by the national working committee of the opposition party.
Shema, who disclosed this while addressing his supporters at a mega rally in support of the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in Katsina Sunday, said there was no sign of reconciliation over the pestering leadership crisis bedevilling the party.
Members of Shema’s camp, who proclaimed themselves as true lovers and supporters of Atiku, boycotted Lado’s governorship campaign rally in Baure Local Government to hold their own in Katsina, the state capital, in support of the party’s presidential candidate.
Represented at the event by the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Mashi/Dutsi Federal Constituency, Hon. Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, Shema described those from Lado’s camp as fake supporters of Atiku and vowed to expose them in due course.
He said: “We addressed our teeming supporters across the 34 local governments of Katsina State today (Sunday). You know people are worried
about what is happening in Katsina PDP, especially about the leadership of the party. “People are here from the 34 local governments to at least know what is going on. We addressed them on the crisis going on in Katsina as far as PDP is concerned.”
Asked whether there is an end to the crisis, Shema said: “I cannot say we are not about to reconcile but I think the process of reconciliation does not even begin. We don’t even see any sign of reconciliation. We are moving forward and you know we are for Atiku Abubakar.
“We are the true lovers and supporters of Atiku Abubakar in Katsina State. We know what happened in Katsina and during our convention in
Abuja. We know those who received Atiku Abubakar as presidential aspirant and we know those who voted for Atiku during our national convention.
“We know those who are seriously campaigning for Atiku in Katsina State for him to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We know they are pretenders. We will expose them but that will be in due course.” He, however, expressed optimism that if the crisis
is resolved, the PDP will reclaim power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at both state and national levels.
The former governor added that the rally was just a litmus test, as “the real campaign rally for our presidential candidate will be organised by us very soon”.
However, efforts by THISDAY to reach Lado’s camp on the allegations raised by Shema’s group were futile as of press time.
