Ibrahim Shuaibu
8 November 2009
Kano — Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Vice Chairman for North West, Dr. Danladi Sankara, has said the opposition alliance being formed by politicians, including former Head of State, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Sokoto State Governor Attahiru Bafarawa, would not have the electoral muscle to effectively challenge the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next general elections.
"Nigerians will not trust people like Buhari again, come 2011, and the coming together of Buhari, Atiku, and Bafarawa with a view to challenging the PDP come 2011 is just a dream which will not be actualised," Sankara told reporters at his farmhouse in Kano at the weekend.
Opposition politicians across the country have in the past few weeks been networking, trying to form a mega political party with the apparent objective of counter-balancing PDP's near monopoly of the political space ahead of general elections in 2011.
But Sankara said the coming together of the opposition elements would cost them whatever chances they might have had. "Nigerians are 75 per cent supporters of the PDP."
He said 75 per cent of politicians in the country are also PDP members and, thus, the formation of a mega opposition party is no threat to PDP.
The North West PDP vice chairman said "PDP is intact" and increasing its popularity across the country and those who are campaigning to wrest power from it are only doing so at their own risk.
Sankara restated the much professed claim of PDP as the largest political party in Africa, adding, "Mega party is too small for PDP and we are ready for them."
He stressed that the party would ensure that it controls government in the six states in the zone at the 2011 general elections.
"In 1999, the zone had only four states controlled by the party. In 2003, also we lost one state, making us to have three. But as I am talking to you now, the party has six states, becuase Kano will be ours in 2011."
Sankara explained that the proposed 6,000mw of electricity promised by President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua would be actualised in December, as all the major works have been completed.
He assured that PDP North West zone did not have any major disagreements among members. "Our members are solidly behind us and ready to answer the party's calls anytime the need arises, and in 2011 the zone will completely be controlled by the PDP," he said.
According to him, "The Yar'Adua-led administration's effort to dredge River Niger to the North will seriously bring positive changes to the economic growth of the region."
He said, "The government has put all machineries on ground to ensure that the project is actualised."
From Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
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