Fifteen aspirants are jostling for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But, only three appear to be in reckoning ahead of the primary.
No fewer than 17 aspirants are competing for the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In the majority are pretenders. The real contenders are few.
Eyes are on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President Bukola Saraki and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. Others may end up as spectators during the shadow poll.
In the PDP, there is an aspirant who just discovered the route to his cradle after joining the race. There are few of them who are also surrogate contenders planning to step down. Some are in the race, deluding themselves into thinking that the ticket will be zoned to their region. Structure is a strong factor. Many of them lack mass followership.
Some observers have described the private sector operators who are eyeing the slots among them as political novice. Mere delegate targeting has proved herculean for them.
There are aspirants who are looking for relevance. Their intention is to serve as ministers, if their party regains power.
Generally, the aspirants are locked in a gate of wits, scheming and intense struggle. Only few formidable contenders will not wear out before the final selection.
Unlike the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) where the number of aspirants continues to grow by the day, the major opposition party has drawn the curtains on the sale of forms. It is now preparing for the primary that will take place on May 28 and 29 at the Eagles Square, Abuja.
Following the screening of the 17 contenders who paid N41 million for the nomination and expression of interest forms by the Gen. David Mark Committee and the submission of the results to the National Working Committee (NWC), the race commenced.
According to committee, only 15 of the 17 aspirants will compete for the votes of the 3,700 delegates. Apart from Atiku, Saraki, and Wike, the aspirants are Bala Mohammed, Aminu Tambuwal, Mohammed Hayatou-Deen, Anyim Pius Anyim, Peter Obi, and Sam Ohunabunwa.
Others are Emmanuel Udom, Ayodele Fayose, Dele Momodu, Olivia Tarela, who is the only female among them, Charles Okwudili, Chikwendu Kalu and Cosmos Ndukwe. Mark told reporters that two aspirants were disqualified.
Less than three weeks to the presidential convention where the delegates will cast their votes, a fresh searchlight is being beamed on the contenders. Top party elders, leaders and decision makers in the party have embarked on careful sifting of the pack. The general opinion among them is that only three of 15 aspirants have the chance of becoming presidential candidate for next year’s poll.
The PDP apparatchik believe that although Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed emerged alongside Saraki as the North’s consensus candidate, he may eventually step down to seek re-election. The elders pointed out that Mohammed had given hint that he may not pursue his presidential ambition to the end, if President Goodluck Jonathan is drafted into the race.
Many believe that Senator Mohammed, a former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), had taken the governorship form by proxy, through one of his commissioners.
Also, there is no evidence that Tambuwal’s ambition flying, even in the North, and among serious PDP leaders. Many Northern elders were not happy that he tried to rubbish them over the consensus arrangement after he joined Mohammed, Saraki and Hayatoudeen in inviting the elders to arbitrate on the choice of a consensus candidate, only to back out when it was clear he would not win. His efforts to paint the elders black seemed to have backfired and diminished his rating by the elders.
The Sokoto State governor is from the Northwest. PDP elders believe that after President Shehu Shagari in the Second Republic, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua between 2007 and 2010 and now, President Muhammadu Buhari, who will complete his second next year, it will be fool-hardy for the party to select another candidate from the Northwest in 2023.
Sources said Tambuwal has seen the handwriting on the wall. He is said to have purchased a senatorial election form, which is held for him by a trusted loyalist and Land and Housing Commissioner Aminu Bala Bodinga.
The governor Tambuwal may negotiate to return to the National Assembly and bid for the Senate President.
The likelihood exists that the PDP flag bearer will come from the North. It is one of the strategies by the party to gain political control. The PDP’s decision is further strengthened by the fact that pressure is mounting on the APC to zone its ticket to the South. Therefore, PDP is throwing its ticket open, knowing that at the primary, a Northern aspirant will emerge as candidate.
The seeming preference for a Northern candidate may have affected the chances of Southern candidates, including Anyim, Obi, Wike, Udom, Momodu, Ohunabunwa and others who are from the South. Top Southern aspirants are potential running mates.
Another non-presidential aspirant said to be high in consideration as running mate is Ifeanyi Okowa. The Delta State governor is seen to be well loved and has preserved himself for the top post by not joining the presidential race.
In top PDP circles, Atiku and Saraki are seen as leading presidential aspirants from the North. But, there is a Southern aspirant whose aspiration cannot be dismissed with a wave of the hand. Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike is an aggressive aspirant with a deep pocket. Wike is acknowledged as the biggest spender in the party. His money is his strength and it is opening doors for him.
While the leaders are not comfortable with Wike and are not ready to trust him with the ticket, they believe he has to be factored into the consideration, having positioned himself as a force to reckon with.
The elders believe that as at today, the PDP has three leading aspirants, one of whom will emerge. They are Atiku, Saraki (both from the North) and Wike. They believe the three men are the ones they have to make up their mind on who to back and sell to the super delegates who will then spread the message down to the other delegates.
As at today, the three men are the leading aspirants in terms of their reach, acceptance, name recognition, exhaustive campaign and influence among delegates.
The leaders also believe the three men are the ones the undecided delegates are thinking about.
The delegates should have the next 18 days to make up their mind and decide which of the three men will fly the flag of the party.
But, how will the party resolve the agitation for zoning, rotation or power shift to the South?
Leave a Reply