2023: Atiku Receives Shekarau Back To PDP After He Dumped Kwankwaso’s NNPP

Former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau has officially returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after dumping the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Ibrahim Shekarau Defect From NNPP To PDP

Shekarau was a member of the PDP when he was elected the governor between 2003 and 2011, but he dumped for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.

He moved to the NNPP with thousands of his supporters on 18 May, following a disagreement with Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, over the control of the ruling APC in the state.

The lawmaker recently fell out with the NNPP presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso after some of his staunch loyalists did not get the party’s tickets to contest elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.

On Monday, August 29, Shekarau announced his defection from the NNPP at his residence in Kano at an event attended by the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, and governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa.

Speaking at the event, Senator Shekarau said he has written to inform the leadership of the NNPP of his intention to leave the party and dump the senatorial ticket.

Shekarau said, “Myself and thousands of my followers have defected to the People Democratic Party, and are now bona fide members of the PDP.

“I have formally written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that I am no longer a senatorial candidate under the NNPP.”

The former governor said he will mobilize his supporters across the country to guarantee the victory of Atiku by next year’s presidential election.

Shekarau was subsequently registered as a member of the PDP by the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu who declared that: “It is my happiest day because Kano is strategic to the success of the party.”

Ayu said the party is more interested in Shekarau because he is a selfless leader who believes in teamwork and who abandoned his senatorial ambition to satisfy his people.

“The PDP always believed in teamwork and will never be an individualistic entity of any person,” Ayu said.

Governors at the event include Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State; Darius Ishaku of Taraba State; and the National Chairman of the PDP, Iyorchia Ayu; and members of the party’s Board of Trustees led by Walid Jibril.

Other dignitaries are former Vice President, Namadi Sambo; former Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Mahdi Aliyu, and former Minister of Transport, Idris Umar; Ahmad Babba-Kaita, Senator for Katsina North District, and former lawmakers, Dino Melaye, and Shehu Sani.

Former Governors of Jigawa, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna, and Adamawa, Sule Lamido, Saminu Turaki, Attahiru Bafarawa, Shehu Shema, Ahmad Makarfi, and Boni Haruna, respectively attended the event.

This comes a few days after Ibrahim Shekarau accused Rabiu Kwankwaso of betraying their agreement, saying he can’t be in NNPP because he will never be a party to injustice and his integrity can’t be compromised.