Speculation Tambuwal is set to dump APC for PDP mounts after he meets with six governors

SPECULATION that Sokoto State's Governor Aminu Tambuwal will leave the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and seek the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) grew yesterday after he hosted six other governors.

Governor Tambuwal who as a member of the PDP used to be speaker of the House of Representatives, left the party in 2014 and decamped to the APC. He has since been elected as Sokoto State governor but of late, there has been a lot of speculation regarding the future of Governor Tambuwal, who is seen as one of the young northern politicians ideal to replace President Muhammadu Buhari.

Last week, 32 people were killed in Gandi village in Sokoto State after a brutal attack by Fulani cattle herdsmen and in response, Governor Tambuwal blamed the lack of security by the federal government for the tragedy. Several other governors have been very critical of the presidency of late, saying President Buhari has failed to secure the lives and property of Nigerians.

Yesterday, governors Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, Kashim Shettima of Borno, Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa, Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa, Aminu Masari of Katsina and Abubakar Bello of Niger states, all met with Governor Tambuwal at State House in Sokoto. Before the meeting, Governor Yari, said that they were there to offer their condolences to the Sokoto people over the killings.

He added: “We are in the state to commiserate with Tambuwal, the people of Sokoto and families of victims of the recent killings in Rabah Local Government Area of the state.”

However, shortly after the condolences, the governors went straight into a closed-door meeting, where it is believed they discussed next year's elections in detail. Several of President Buhari's close associates have asked him to stand down for a younger candidate of northern extraction who can address the security concerns of the nation.