Tension in Kaduna PDP as delegates disappear with millions
Two of the aspirants for the PDP ticket in the just-concluded primaries of the party in Kaduna have demanded for the immediate refund of the millions they doled out to the delegates in anticipation of votes, but one of them reportedly ended up with just two votes.
Sources in the party said tensions are high as the delegates, who collected millions from the two aspirants have gone into hiding.
One of the candidates, Adam Namadi Sambo reportedly secured only two votes at the primaries, for the 2023 House of Representatives ticket. He was said to have spent N2million on each of the delegates prior to the primaries, with a pledge to add an extra N1.5m to each them when he emerged victorious. Another loser in the election was Shehu Usman ABG, who was also roundly defeated by the incumbent House of Representatives member, Hon Samaila Suleman.
The delegates, many of who are said to be hiding at the moment have made great fortune, cashing-in on the desperation of the candidates.
The incumbent Suleiman, who only recently abandoned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the PDP, polled 22 votes, against Shehu Usman ABG who got away with14 votes.
Some delegates claimed that Hon Suleiman had given out N3.5m to esch of the delegates, while other observers of the primaries claimed he gave one of them N4m. Reports also claimed that ABG doled out N2.5m to each of the delegates, while Namadi gave out N2m to delegates.
The winner, Hon Suleiman, is the Chairman House Committee on Special Duties and a monarch who holds the title of Dujiman Zazzau.
Hon Samaila is likely to slug it out in 2023 with Bello Elrufai, son of the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, who may clinch the APC ticket for the same seat.
