Factional PRP Vows Not To Recognize Takai As Governorship Candidate In Kano

A faction of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, in Kano State, has rejected the declaration of Salihu Takai as the party’s governorship candidate.

The leader of the faction, Mukhtar Zango, stated its position while briefing Newsmen on Sunday in Kano.

Mukhtar Zango accused some forces of trying to hijack the party he claimed his group had nurtured “for 27 years”.

He claimed to be among the followers of late Mallam Aminu Kano, founder of the party.

The factional leader accused a leader of a Non-Governmental Organisation, a woman, of “using money to take over the leadership of the party”.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the crisis started after Takai returned to the PRP and made the party’s governorship candidate, after he lost out at the PDP.

Zango declared that when the call for the revival of PRP began, his group was at the forefront and laboured very hard to actualise the quest.

He accused the NGO leader of “invading” the party and trying to take over all structures by all means, contrary to the instruction of the party’s national chairman, Balarabe Musa, that the existing leadership be maintained.

Mukhtar Zango alleged that the NGO leader personally nominated one Sammani Sharif as the state PRP chairman, and also made him its governorship candidate, “pending when a wealthy aspirant will emerge”.

The aggrieved factional leader also accused the rival group of dismantling all existing party structure across the state.

“All the 44 local government party chairmen were forcefully stripped of their seats on the premise that they wanted to inject fresh blood and bring in educated people who could steer the party to success in 2019.

“That action was contrary to the directive by the national body of the party,” he said.

Zango said his faction had not endorsed Sagir Takai as the party’s governorship flag bearer in Kano because it was not consulted on the issue.

He, however, stated that the faction had its candidate and would announce same in due course.

Muhktar Zango threatened that his faction would seek justice in a court of law if they were denied justice by Sharif’s group.

When contacted, Sharif said that he was not aware of  Zango’s faction of the party, adding that the national body of PRP constituted a leadership structure through which he emerged as the chairman.

NAN