As the 2023 election draws nearer and with the release of the election timetable by INEC, different power blocs within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are scheming to outsmart one another in the presidential primary election slated for later in the year, thereby making the road to the success of the party even more stormy, reports Weekend Editor, Obah Sylva.
The road to the presidential primary of Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) looks very stormy as different political power blocs wrestle for the presidential ticket. The battle has intensified with the signing of the electoral bill by President Muhammadu Buhari last week.
The new act now allows political parties to decide which mode of primaries is best suited for them. With the Governor under the PDP rooting for indirect primaries, while other presidential aspirants looking out for the option of direct primary.
The Trumpet authoritatively confirmed that members of the PDP Governors Forum are working seriously on their unity to ensure that the party adopts the indirect mode of primary for the presidential election. They want to ensure that both flag-bearers of the party and the running mate emerge from their midst.
It was learnt that the major reason the forum is pushing for indirect primary is because of their control on the special delegates, largely made up of elected officeholders and political appointees in their various states.
The Governor’s unity was tested at the last national convention which gave birth to the new National Working Committee of the party. It is on the strength of this unity that they hoped to take both the presidential and vice-presidential tickets of the PDP to the detriment of other aspirants and power blocs within the party.
Other presidential aspirants like former Vice President and PDP 2019 Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Dele Momodu, Bukola Saraki and Anyim Pius Anyim, among others, are said not to be pleased with the move by the Governor forum thereby complicating the stormy road to the party towards 2023 general elections.
The PDP has thrown the Presidential ticket open for all the geopolitical zone. PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Ibrahim has unequivocally said the leadership of the party was considering scrapping the idea of zoning for the 2023 Presidency.
Despite throwing the contest open, PDP governors for the south are determined to ensure that the next presidential candidate comes from the zone.
Meanwhile, Atiku Abubarkar has expressed optimism toward the 2023 PDP presidential primary ticket, even though it was alleged that the meeting with his former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo, ended abruptly because he was told to support a younger aspirant within the party.
Speaking to journalists after the visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Saturday, Mr Atiku, claimed that he has never failed to win PDP’s presidential ticket and he is confident he would win it this time.
“Have I ever failed to win the ticket? I’m confident,” Mr Atiku said when asked if he has confidence in winning the PDP ticket this time around.
Mr Atiku also said he will soon make an official announcement of his interest to contest for president in 2023. He dismissed criticisms that he is too old to lead African most populous country, while sarcastically stating that the youth are free to compete with him.
“Let the youth compete now? It is democracy. Let them compete for it,” Mr Atiku said, challenging youths who feel he is too old to be president.
Not happy with Atiku’s claims, Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike took a swipe at the former vice president, stressing that Atiku is taking the party delegates for granted. He added that the outcome of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries will shock many Nigerians.
“People should watch; they will be shocked as far as the PDP convention is concerned. People should watch what is going to happen. People like to underrate so many persons and it is not good in politics,” he said.
The governor said Atiku’s comment could amount to taking convention delegates for granted.
“I didn’t expect him to say that he will always take the ticket of the party. That is going too far and taking the delegates for granted,”.
In the same vein, Kassim Afegbua, a former commissioner for information in Edo state and the spokesperson of the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign organisation in the 2019 election, says Atiku Abubakar, should not be “trusted” with the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket ahead of the 2023 election.
The former commissioner said the opposition party cannot “afford the mistake” of supporting Abubakar who “abandoned” the party in 2019 after he lost the presidential election.
Afegbua advised the former vice-president to drop his presidential ambition and support a younger aspirant from the southern part of the country.
“I read with dismay the statement credited to former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar where he boasted that he would always get the presidential ticket of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP,” the statement reads.
“At a time when the former Vice President should be working towards strengthening the structures of the party for more electoral victories, the only thing that bothers him is all about his selfish aspiration.
“It was only in 2019 that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar emerged as the candidate of the PDP at the PortHarcourt convention when it was decided by the Southern aspirants to allow an all-northern aspirant to contest the primary election. So the claim that “I will always get the ticket of the PDP” flies in the face of logic, fact and reality.”
“We cannot afford the mistake of 2019 when Alhaji Abubakar abandoned all his foot-soldiers and sought refuge in faraway Dubai. A true political General ought to secure his troops and return them to the barracks after the war to carry out critical assessments before knowing the next step.
Meanwhile, the Chidi Ibeh-led Ohanaeze Ndigbo has advised Atiku Abubakar and other northern presidential aspirants to stop swimming against the current political tide and pitch tent with the Igbo Presidency agenda.
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According to the group, the mood of the entire country favoured Nigerian President of Igbo extraction.
This was contained in a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Chief Okechukwu Isiguzoro.
The group added that Atiku and other northern presidential aspirants should ponder on the fact that the disintegration of the country was imminent if the Igbos are denied the Presidency.
According to the statement, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide appreciates the unity of purpose demonstrated by the middle belt and Southern leaders, on speaking the truth and establishing the fact that based on equity and fairness in the spirit of one brotherhood (Nigeria) that 2023 should be exclusively reserved for the Igbo, to halt the disintegration adherents and factors threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria beyond 2023.
“Based on this circumstance on the ground, any promotion of Northern continuation after 8 years of President Buhari from any individual, is callous, voracious and selfish.
“Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar’s boastful stance of winning the 2023 PDP Presidential ticket, is a nostalgic belief that has decorated him as a desperate politician swimming against the political currents and tides of the moment.
…THE WIKE NEW ALLIANCE
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike may have dumped his long-time political associate, Mr Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto State Governor, for former Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, The Trumpet has learnt.
Wike’s political association with his long-time political friend, Tambuwal, has been fractious lately following increasing demand from southern Nigerians for major political parties to zone their presidential tickets to the south which is been spearheaded by Wike.
It was learnt that Tambuwal has refused all entreaties to persuade him to drop his presidential ambition for a southern candidate and consider the option of a running mate.
Wike has been vocal in his support for power shift to the south with major stakeholders from the south backing the move.
The Trumpet learnt that this has pitched him against Tambuwal, who is insisting on running for the PDP presidential ticket.
With the likes of the Bauchi Governor and other PDP Governor from the north that are now rumoured to be nursing the slot of running mate, Wike seems to have finally dropped his age-long political ally.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed who was in Port Harcourt to flag off the construction of the Rumukwurushi-Elimgbu flyover in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, said that Nigerians will be luckier to have Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as their president.
The governor added that Nigerians need to consider giving Wike the opportunity to serve them at the national level because the Rivers governor is a man with the vision of knowing how to harness resources in improving the quality of life of the citizenry.
He maintained that ‘if Rivers State is lucky to have Wike, Nigerians will be luckier’.
Governor Mohammed said that, though he had disclosed his intention to run for the presidency, he knows in accomplishing that goal, some people are of better quality considered to have such capacity to do much better.
“And there are people that you will do it with them so that at the end of the day if you are doing it, you’re doing it with harmony, you’re doing it with synergy, you’re doing it with stakeholders in a manner that you will rescue Nigeria from the present situation of maladministration.
The Trumpet gathered that Wike’s latest move is aimed at getting a new mpolitical alliance for himself among the political movers in the North that are members of the PDP.
TAMBUWAL’S PRESIDENTIAL HOPE HAZY
If not for last-minute politicking Aminu Tambuwal could have emerged as the PDP candidate for the 2019 general election. His young age and a blend of legislative and executive experience were some of the major factors that worked for him.
Tambuwal’s major support in the 2018 PDP presidential primary were Southern governors, especially Governor Wike of River state and former Ekiti state governor Ayodele Fayose. Southern governors have declared that the next president should come from the region. Wike has been very vocal, insisting that he stands with the decision of the Southern Governors’ Forum.
The governors control the delegates. It will be difficult for Tambuwal to win the PDP ticket without the support of the delegates from the South. This seems to be the major setback for Tambuwal’s Presidential ambition as he is not too popular in the North.
It will be recalled that Aminu Tambuwal declared his intention to run for the highest political office, the presidency, in Nigeria come 2023 a month ago.
The former Speaker of the House of Representatives made this known in a high-level stakeholder meeting in Sokoto. Tambuwal stressed that he is not only well prepared but also ready to fix the numerous problems of the country as President of Nigeria.
The complexity of the journey of the PDP toward the 2023 general elections is further compounded by the interest of Bukolar Saraki, Sen. Ayim Pius Ayim and Peter Obi, who are not relenting in the pursuit of their presidential ticket of the party. How the PDP will navigate its way through this stormy road toward 2023 is still very unclear, but only time will tell.
