More facts emerged on Tuesday why Governors Babangida Aliyu and Sule Lamido of Niger and Jigawa states, respectively, did not follow their counterparts in the G7 group to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sources privy to the whole arrangement told reporters that the Niger State governor was under intense pressure from his aides that given his unpopularity at home and disagreement with leading political figures in the state, it would be suicidal to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now.
The source, who craved anonymity, said Aliyu’s decision not to join APC was predicated on what would be his fate in a post 2015 Niger State. “Presently, Aliyu is not on the same page with former Heads of state, General Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar on who will be the next governor of the state. The two former leaders have decided to support the son of Colonel Sanni Bello (rtd) in 2015, but Aliyu is not disposed to the arrangement”, the source said.
Apart from that, Aliyu is not comfortable with the growing influence of the APC in the state, considering the fact that his senatorial district is controlled by the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).
In the case of Lamido, he was said to have travelled to Abuja for a meeting with Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State and decided to be more circumspect at the last minute. “Governor Lamido did not follow his colleagues to APC because of the challenges his two sons are currently facing with the EFCC. Don’t however rule it out in the future if he decided to jump ship”, says the aide.