Buba Galadima, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has said that he pitied the Senator representing Kano Central, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, for defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Galadima, who was reacting to Shekarau’s defection from the NNPP in an interview with BBC Hausa service, said most of his (Shekarau’s) supporters would remain in the party.
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He said, “We already expected this to happen. I pity him for this defection because he has missed the way. He always claims unfair treatment in any party he defects to. I assure you in this recent defection, 90 per cent of his supporters will not follow him, they will remain in NNPP.
“I told you no party want to miss even one vote because a party can win presidential election with a vote and Shekarau has more than one votes. It’s not our wish he left us but since he had decided, let him go. Even if we win elections, I am telling you Shekarau will be our problem.”
He said said that the party would write to INEC for Shekarau’s replacement as the NNPP senatorial candidate for Kano Central in the forthcoming general elections.
Galadima said none of the other presidential candidates has one quarter of supporters the NNPP presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has in the north.