Kebbi senators Aliero, Yahaya set to rejoin APC after meeting Tinubu

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Three Kebbi State senators elected under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday met with President Bola Tinubu ahead of their speculated defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

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Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central and former governor of the state); Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) met the president at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja on Friday.

They were led to the meeting by the National Chairperson of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje.

Mr Ganduje hinted that the lawmakers would formally join the APC next week at the Senate plenary.

The Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris; Sokoto State Governor Ahmad Aliyu; and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, attended the meeting.

Meers Aleiru and Yahaya left the APC in the build-up to the 2023 election after falling out with the then-Governor Badugu over an alleged plan by the governor to impose the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, as the party’s governorship candidate in Kebbi.

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The two men fought for control of party structures at the different levels in the state, as part of the battle for the 2023 elections.

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Former Governor Bagudu was believed to support Mr Malami as his successor. But Mr Aliero preferred the then-Senate Majority Leader, Mr Abdullahi.

Messrs Aleiru and Yahaya left the APC and were reelected under the PDP. Mr Aliero defeated Mr Bagudu in the senatorial election—President Tinubu later appointed Mr Bagudu a minister.