By Saminu Ibrahim
The Chinese lead and political philosopher, Mao Tse-Tung, said that ‘’Politics is war without blood’’. In a way, this maxim aptly captures the jostling for the presidential ticket amongst Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gladiators in the north. In 2016, the main opposition had zoned the presidential ticket to the north during the Port Harcourt national convention. At the same event, the PDP had given the national chairmanship slot to the south.
In spite of the leadership tussle that raged on between former governor of Borno state, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, ex governor of Kaduna state, the zoning arrangement still subsists.
Apart from the Ekiti state governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, who went against the zoning formula, the top contenders for the presidential ticket Alhaji Sule Lamido has openly declared for the ticket last month. However, the name of former Vice president Atiku Abubakar, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Party(APC) is widely speculated as one of the contenders. Governor Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe state, former governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa of Sokoto state and the incumbent National Caretaker Committee chairman, Senator Makarfi are said to be equally eyeing the presidential ticket.
In spite of the zoning arrangement, the fortunes of PDP in the north will depend largely on the credibility and acceptability of its presidential candidate.
Alhaji Abdullahi Jallo, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, sums it up in a recent interview with Blueprint weekend. According to him, “the in road into the north by PDP depends on credibility, if they can bring somebody that is credible. Don’t look at it based on the number of states they are controlling in the north. Look at it from the perception of the northerners, whether Buhari has done much for the north”.
Before then, the aspirants are already making inroads elsewhere. For instance, Lamido has an office in the south east, a two-storey edifice located at Umuokpu area of Awka. According to reports, the campaign office was donated by an indigene of the community, Chief Arize Ekelem, who is a close confidant of the former governor of Jigawa state. Similarly, to give credence to his rumoured move to join the PDP, Atiku Abubakar has visited immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan recently, an action that pundits have interpreted as consultation with stakeholders before he dumps the ruling APC.
- According to reports, Jonathan advised Atiku to join PDP early, in order to satisfy certain provisions of the party’s constitution. The provision stipulates a certain period of time a member has to spend in the party, before he becomes eligible to contest for political office.
As for Dankwambo and Bafarawa, the duo are keeping things to their chests as much as possible. However, the trio of Lamido, Makarfi and Atiku seem to have a head start but in politics, a week is a long time and anything can happen between now and next year when party primaries will hold.
