Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 19 northern states and the FCT have denied endorsing any aspirant as the party’s preferred candidate for 2023 presidential election.
The leaders said this in a communiqué at the end of their meeting in Abuja on Monday
The communique was read by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido.
The former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State were alleged to have been shortlisted by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) as the preferred candidates among four northern aspirants seeking for consensus candidate for the PDP.
The four aspirants are Mr Saraki; Mr Mohammed; Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and the former Managing Director of FSB International Bank, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Messrs Tambuwal and Hayatu-Deen have since rejected the choice.
Mr Lamido said that the PDP presidential candidate would emerge from the party’s national convention slated to hold from May 28 to May 29.
“We will like to state from the onset that there is nothing called the northern PDP.
“Our coming together as key stakeholders from the northern states is only for the purpose of debunking any notion or impression which might have been created by Prof. Ango Abdullahi’s statement about the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) having shortlisted consensus PDP presidential candidates.
“The PDP as conceived by its founding fathers is and remains the foremost national political platform wherein the democratic aspirations of its teeming members can be actualised devoid of any sectional consideration.
“Our party is neither northern nor southern, but Nigeria,” he said.
Mr Lamido said that the stakeholders were happy that the NEF had through its secretary, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, disassociated itself from Mr Ango’s statement.
“They made it clear that it is Ango’s personal opinion.
“The aspirants have informed us that they are discussing among themselves. They are consulting other senior citizens in order to create a better understanding and unity among themselves.
“Their ultimate objective is to build a national consensus that will produce a national candidate for the party.
“We urge them to keep up with this commendable effort,” he said.
Mr Lamido commended the PDP presidential aspirants’ efforts, while assuring them of their support for the PDP to win the 2023 presidential election.
“Our meeting today is to reinforce on the press release issued on March 23 by me.
“We maintain that all our aspirants are qualified to occupy the Nigerian presidency under the PDP banner.
“We shall continue to support, promote and campaign and win the presidency by the candidate produced by our national convention scheduled for May 22 and 29,” he said.
He appealed to all aspirants to be temperate in their utterances and work to promote harmony and better understanding within the PDP family.
“We also want to assure all PDP members and indeed all Nigerians that we are aware of your pains, prayers, expectations and hope to be rescued.
“Your abiding faith in PDP shall set us free in 2023. By the Almighty’s power we will not fail Nigeria,” he said.
