Senator threatens to dump PDP over disagreement

The lawmaker has reportedly threatened to dump the party if the party's leadership removes any member of his Kwankwasiyya movement from the list of aspirants contesting in Kano State.

The recent primary elections held in the state had seen the emergence of candidates chosen by Kwankwaso, including his in-law, Abba Kabiru Yusuf, picking up the governorship ticket.

Another PDP faction in the state led by Senator Mas'ud El-Jibril Doguwa conducted parallel elections which also saw the emergence of other PDP members as candidates for the same general elections.

An attempt by the PDP's national leadership to review the list of both factions has drawn Kwankwaso's ire, leading him to threaten to leave the party during a recent meeting held at Legacy House, Abuja, according to Daily Trust.

A source said the 2-hour meeting ended in a deadlock as both factions failed to agree on the best way to resolve the situation.

The source said, "Kwankwaso told the gathering that any move to remove any member of Kwankwasiyya from the aspirants list will lead to his defection from PDP.

"However, the Doguwa-led faction also threatened to dump the party if the leadership failed to review the list of aspirants.

"The meeting ended in a deadlock. Neither Kwankwaso nor Doguwa faction agreed to accept the terms offered by the leadership of the party."

The party's position, which is reported to be favoured by the Doguwa faction, is to share the slots for the national and state assemblies equally between both factions.

Kwankwaso lost the PDP's presidential ticket to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, at the party's national convention held between October 6 and October 7 in Rivers State. The former Kano governor rejoined the party in July, dumping the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).