Ahead of next year’s general elections, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has described himself as the most qualified of all the 17 aspirants vying for the 2023 presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He also told the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) that he deserved the right of first refusal, given his experience and competence.
But the NWC replied it would work for all the seventeen aspirants and not him alone, urging the former VP and others in the race to sell themselves to the delegates.
A similar response was given to Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike who asked the NWC to pay him for his support and role in ensuring their emergence, and also provide level playing field for all aspirants.
And in his response, the PDP national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, told the governor to settle for either of the two options, saying he cannot have the two all to himself alone.
The aspirants
Apart from Atiku and Wike, the rest presidential aspirants seeking the party’s ticket at the National Convention slated for 28 and 29 May are: former Senate President Bukola Saraki; former Anambra Governor Peter Obi and Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
Also included are former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim; Bauchi state Governor Bala Mohammed and Akwa Ibom state Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Others are renowned industrialist, Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa; Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; a United States-based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze, Ovation Magazine publisher, Dele Momodu, former Ekiti state Governor Ayo Fayose; Cosmos Ndukwe, Mr Charles Ugwu, Chikwendu Kalu and Tariele Diana Oliver.
Atiku visits NWC
Speaking Thursday during his visit to the National Working Committee (NWC) members of the party in Abuja, the 2019 presidential candidate of the PDP also said with the 11 million votes he garnered in the last election, he deserved the right of first refusal.
“I don’t have to tell you what I am, what qualifications I have, what experience I have, and what I can do for this party, for this country,” he told the party leaders.
The Waziri Adamawa pledged that if elected, he would reunite the country, deal decisively with security issues and revamp the economy.
“Mr Chairman and members of the National Working Committee, I’m really not here to lecture you, I’m just really here to inform you of my decision to run again, and also to urge you to provide the right kind of leadership so that the best candidate can emerge.
“And I dare say Mr Chairman, I am the best candidate. Under normal circumstances Mr Chairman, this is a guy who has already 11 million votes in his kitty. And I think, as a party, you should give me the right of first refusal but we are in a democracy.
“All I can urge you is to make sure that the way you have started, you also conclude the way you have started by being very fair, very credible, giving every contestant the opportunity to face the electorate,” he said.
On the performance of the incumbent administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku said, “every Nigeria knows that the APC has failed but we should not take Nigerians for granted.
“We should go all out to let them know APC has failed, it will continue to fail. No matter what gap they have come or they appear to be, they will continue to fail and PDP has not failed on your comparative analysis. If you compare the achievements of PDP and the failure of APC, you know that you have no other choice than PDP,” he stated.
Ayu
In his reaction, the PDP national chairman, Senator Ayu, said he won’t work for Atiku alone, but all the 17 aspirants.
“Mr Vice President, I will not work for you as an aspirant. I will work for all the 17 aspirants. It is left to you to convince the delegates of our party that you are the best. You have to market yourself, you have to work hard,” Ayu said.
Ayu, who assured that the NWC would not take side with any particular aspirant, urged all aspirants to convince the delegates and market themselves.
The PDP boss said: “Let me take time to explain to Nigerians that the party has its internal mechanisms of selecting a candidate, whether by consensus or by-election, we will do it transparently.
“Those who love our party more than us should please tarry a little, they should not select candidates for the People’s Democratic Party. They don’t have our mandate and we will not concede that mandate to anybody, young or an elder who chooses by himself to choose a candidate for us.
“Our internal processes will go ahead and we are going ahead with it. At the end of the day, we’ll come up with a candidate chosen by the members of the People’s Democratic Party themselves. It is that candidate that will present to the rest of Nigeria for the forthcoming elections”.
Screening
Meanwhile, there is palpable tension over the screening of the 17 PDP presidential aspirants as the David Mark-led committee meets today (Friday) to evaluate the contestants.
According to the schedule of activities released by the National Organising Secretary, Hon. Umar Bature, the national convention is slated for May 28 and 29.
The screening exercise holds at Legacy House, Abuja, the party’s presidential campaign headquarters.
Blueprint reports that PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary Ibrahim Abdullahi, who stood in for the national chairman at a function in Abuja recently, had hinted that the party would throw its 2023 presidential ticket open.
He had said: “Well, for the opportunity that are available, and to provide equal opportunity for Nigerians to bid for the available political offices, those who are interested in pursuing for the presidency, we are opening it for every Nigerians to pursue. What it implies as we speak, every Nigerian is bidding from the south-east, from the south-west, and from the north, no section of Nigeria is denied an opportunity to contest or aspire.”
And further to this, the party’s national chairman, last month, said the PDP has a history of rotating offices among various components making up Nigeria.
“So, PDP has a history of rotating our offices. Anybody who doesn’t get it this time should wait after the tenure of whoever will be our next President,” Ayu had said.
Ortom committee
Consequently, the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) swiftly inaugurated a 37- man zoning committee led by Benue state Governor Samuel Ortom on the 24th of March, 2022.
The committee was to recommend to the party whether zoning would help it return to power at the centre in 2023 or not, and that which part of the country to zone the presidency to.
After 3 consecutive meetings and upon submitting its report 2 weeks ago, controversy continues to trail the committee’s recommendation that the committee recommended that the 2023 ticket be thrown open.
But Governor Ortom debunked the report, saying their position would be made known by the party’s NEC which gave them the assignment.
Consensus
And in their separate but collective efforts, the quartet of Tambuwal, Bala, Saraki and Hayatu-Deen, had traversed the length and breadth of the country championing the consensus arrangement.
However, the arrangement collapsed when the duo of Bala and Saraki from the north-east and north-central respectively, were announced by a committee of northern leaders as presidential aspirants within the party.
As this continues to generate acrimony among the 4 aspirants and other aspirants from the north, many stakeholders have expressed fear that the party’s position on zoning could negatively impact its performance in the general elections.
Tension
The struggle for the ticket is generating tension among party stakeholders, some of whom warned that zoning it to the North would be an injustice against the South and that this would come with some consequences.
Also, others cautioned that zoning the presidency to the South cannot help the party bounce back to its winning ways in 2023.
Political pundits observed that tension is high in the party because whatever decision the party took can make or mar its chances in the forthcoming 2023 election.
Others also warned that if not well managed, it might lead to an implosion within the PDP.
The duo of Anyim and former PDP Deputy National Chairman, Chief Olabode George, had warned that any attempt to jettison the zoning arrangement would affect the party’s chances in 2023.
While Saraki insisted that it’s the turn of the North Central to produce the next president, Tambuwal said zoning to the South won’t guarantee the PDP victory in the election.
We‘re up to the task – Ologunagba
In an interview with Blueprint, PDP National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba dismissed the view that zoning and the contest for the party’s ticket by the 17 aspirants may drag the party into an internal crisis.
On the party’s position on zoning, he said, the party would make this known at the right time.
The PDP publicity scribe also assured that the national convention and congresses to elect the party’s candidates for all positions would be free, fair, credible and transparent.
He said:”People are in a hurry and concerned about our party’s position on zoning because the PDP is the hope of Nigerians, the PDP will rescue and rebuild the country. Our position on zoning will be made known through the NEC at the right time.
“The number of aspirants won’t lead the party into any internal crisis during or even after the national convention. In any case, the PDP has an internal conflict resolution mechanism capable of resolving any issue.
“On our part, we will ensure the party’s national convention and even congress at all levels to elect party’s candidate for all position is free, fair and credible.”