Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State, former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and two governors under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) are in secret talk with governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike over their ambition to defect to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019.
Wike, who currently holds the ace in the former ruling party and also a powerful factor that determines who gets what within the party has been secretly talking with many powerful old members of the party who defected to APC but are currently not being fairly treated by the ruling party.
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Two weeks ago, Wike led a powerful delegation of Rivers Elders to Makurdi to commiserate with Ortom over the killing of 73 Benue people by Fulani herdsmen
The governor donated N200million to the Benue State Government for the purchase of relief materials and medicines for the displaced persons.
He said: “What has happened in Benue State has affected me. I am pained. Look at deaths everywhere. Nobody is free again.
“People don’t understand the magnitude of the injury inflicted on the people of Benue State. The country must sit down to proffer solutions to this menace “.
In his remarks , Benue State Governor, Dr Samuel Ortom said that 100,000 persons have been displaced by the invasion of Fulani herdsmen.
The following week, Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose was also in Makurdi to pay condolence visit to Ortom. Both Wike and Fayose are seen as main arrowhead of opposition and leaders of PDP.
Sources close to Nigerian NewsDirect revealed that the visits were not only for condolence but also political. Both Ortom and Wike were Ministers of State in the cabinet of former President Goodluck Jonathan. While Wike was Minister of State for Education, Ortom was Minister of State for Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments. He defected to APC when the former Benue state governor, Gabriel Suswam refused to give him the gubernatorial ticket of PDP in 2015.
“The rate at which Fulani herdsmen has been terrorizing the State and the-not-too encouraging response of the Presidency had made APC unpopular in Benue State and it will be very risky if Ortom uses the platform to actualize his ambition in 2019” a source close to the governor told our Correspondent.
Ortom was one of the three governors represented by their deputies when APC governors paid a condolence visit to the President in Daura last weekend.
“The Governor is in talk with Wike over the control of the party machinery in the State. It will be suicidal for him to defect to a party he does not have control of the party machinery, anything can happen during the party machinery” Nigerian NewsDirect was told.
On the part of Kwankwaso, many leaders of PDP see him as the most viable candidate that can defeat Buhari in 2019.
His performance during the APC primaries in 2015 where he came second to Buhari and defeated former Vice President Abubakar Atiku makes him stand tall among contenders for the PDP presidential ticket.
Nigerian NewsDirect learnt that Wike had met severally with Kwankwaso and had assured him of level playing field at the party primary election if he defects to PDP.
Wike has also promised him waivers if he defects. Section 8.9 of the PDP constitution states that: “Persons who desire to rejoin the party after leaving it shall, unless exempted by the NWC, be placed on probation for a period of time not less than a year.”
Both Ortom and Kwankwaso had been promised waivers so as to participate in the primary election if they finally defects to PDP.
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