The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has begun moves to expand its coast ahead of next year’s elections.
Despite ongoing reconciliation in the All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition party has opened talks with some aggrieved leaders of the ruling party.
On the PDP radar are former governors Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi) and Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano).
It was learnt that the National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, is leading the talk.
Twenty senators and 50 APC House of Representatives members are also being targeted by the PDP.
There is anxiety that the figure could rise, after the proposed March 26 convention in Abuja.
Sources said the PDP is capitalising on the protracted crises in the ruling party, including post-congress conflicts, defective state structure and battle of supremacy among gladiators, to target some leaders of APC for defection.
Many of the APC leaders being wooed are defectors from PDP to APC.
The decision of the APC leadership to defer to governors at the state level was said to have left some APC leaders stranded on their political future in 2023.
A source with insights into the discreet talks, said: “The PDP is undercutting APC in many states with its National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, leading the negotiations.
“The opposition party is capitalising on the crisis in APC, especially the pall of uncertainty on the party’s convention and mindset on presidential and governorship primaries. The high number of court cases involving APC is enormous and scaring.
“Some of the negotiations have almost been crystallized. But many others may blossom, based on the outcome of the APC convention.
