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The main opposition’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be facing its worst crisis yet as efforts by the party to agree on a consensus candidate and manage fallouts among aspirants seeking to fly the party’s flag in the 2023 presidential election have crashed.
The New Diplomat understands that asides the uproar that has continued to greet reports, claiming the PDP has thrown presidential zoning to the dustbin, at least for now, pro-consensus and anti-consensus proponents are currently rocking the boat of the party in no small way ahead of the party’s presidential primary already slated for May 29, 2022.
While the party’s presidential aspirants in the likes of former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State; Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and the former MD of FSB International Bank, Mohammed Hayatudeen have been canvassing for a consensus candidate by meeting stakeholders in the party, no fewer than five other aspirants have insisted that all presidential aspirants must be allowed to slog it out in an open contest for the party’s ticket. They are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, Veteran journalist and Publisher, Dele Momodu and a Pharmacist Sam Ohuabunwa.
Though some of the aspirants backing a consensus arrangement have been meeting with party stakeholders and Southern Governors, including Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State, it has been reported that Atiku, a frontline aspirant for the ticket, has taken an exception to those moves.
A party source told The New Diplomat that Atiku’s camp views those moves as an attempt to block the ex-VP’s emergence as the PDP candidate for the second time running. “Concerning the presidential consensus, the biggest fear expressed by the aspirants and some party bigwigs is that should the party allow an open contest, Atiku is likely to wrestle the ticket from other contenders, judging by his intimidating warchest and nationwide contacts. We saw how he brought a masterstroke to the game during the presidential primary in Port Harcourt in 2018 and bought over the delegates in dramatic version. Many party insiders are wary of that this time… particularly, when you consider the mood of the nation and the goings in the APC… To those who have ears, they’re clearly in support of a Southern presidency.”
Speaking during a recent visit by the pro-consensus aspirants to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Saraki, a former Kwara Governor had said: “We are all eminently qualified to lead this country but we believe that only one person will lead and that person needs everybody to make Nigeria better and to fix this country.”
But the party source further claimed that some in the PDP are equally worried that those pushing for a consensus candidate might be trying to arm twist the party into having their choice of candidate emerge. “Everywhere you look, you see dire warning signals for the PDP because the proponents of consensus also have a certain individual in mind. It’s a dicey situation for the PDP. While some are attempting to hijack the primary process on the D-Day, other are working hard on this concensus thing ahead of time to push their own interest too. Yes, politics is about interest, but are the goings-on about the party?”
Worried that the consensus arrangement might have hit the rock, it was gathered some chieftains in the PDP are already bracing up for an open primary election and Atiku’s possible emergence, but with a caveat that the former VP, who has now become a serial presidential candidate must do only one term of 4 years peradventure he eventually emerges.
“If he (Atiku) agrees (on a single term), then we can rest assured that we will have many converts among the delegates and even among Nigerians, who will vote in the general elections. Already, the majority of the statutory delegates are with us. We are trying to win ad hoc and national delegates to our side, but Atiku needs to come out openly to speak on this.
“In 2015, Atiku said it only once that he would be a one-term President if he won. After that, he was silent on it. Now, he has to promise to be the Mandela of Nigeria if he wins the primary. That will make things easier for him.” A source said to be a confidant of Atiku was reportedly quoted.
As at the last count, the aspirants that have purchased the PDP presidential forms are Atiku, Saraki, Wike, Anyim Pius Anyim, Governor Mohammed of Gombe State, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto; Hayatudeen and Dele Momodu.
Others are US based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze; former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel; Mazi Ohuabunwa and Mrs. Oliver Tareila Diana from Imo State.
Meanwhile, the consensus crisis rocking the PDP came at a time that the call for rotational presidency on its own has continued to raise germane concerns among Southern electorate, who are of the view that power should shift South of the Niger next year after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years in office.
Against reported resolution that the opposition party has thrown out presidential zoning in 2023, Southern Governors of the PDP stock, on Friday insisted that the party should zone its presidential ticket to the southern part of Nigeria for equity and fairness.
After their meeting on Friday night at Akwa-Ibom Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, Governors said they had watched with keen interest the developments in the PDP regarding zoning, but averred that they would not change their earlier stance on power shift to the South.
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues- Southern PDP Governors explained that: “Our position is that first, we are committed to the unity of our party and we have worked hard to make sure that this party remains a strong and viable vehicle to ‘rescue’ Nigeria come 2023.
“Be that as it may, we want to draw your attention to the fact that we have agreed as Southern Governors in Lagos and also in Delta that this party has to respect the zoning principle as enshrined in our Constitution.
“And to that effect, we feel that the best thing to do is zone the presidency to the South, and we stand on that position.
“We have not seen any reason to change our position, because the Party was founded on the basis of equity and justice.
“We also think that equity and justice are important pillars that will ultimately stabilise our politics towards our journey in rescuing Nigeria,” Ikpeazu said.
Asked if the governors would reconsider their position if making the party’s ticket open would allow PDP win in 2023, Ikpeazu said “you haven’t told me why zoning will not give us victory.”
Also fielding questions on speculations that the PDP Zoning Committee has already made the ticket open, Ikpeazu said that the southern governors do not work on speculations.
On arguments that the ticket was made open because of the number of aspirants that had purchased forms or the need to retain ticket in the North, Ikpeazu said that the party must be firm in its decision and do whatever is seen to be true and fair.
“Let me tell you something, if you want to take a position of policy, you don’t look at problems in their face and take decision. You take a decision and remain firm on that decision.
“We think that what this country is lacking today is our ability to dispense equity and justice. It may be difficult, it may be a bitter pill but we need to stand with the truth.”
