As 811 delegates begin the process of picking the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) inside the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja today, three aspirants, Atiku Abubakar, Nyesom Wike and Bukola Saraki are in a close race to clinch the ticket.
Indeed, the battle is between Atiku, Saraki and Governors Wike and Aminu Tambuwa backed by some of their colleagues.
Out of the 17 persons who purchased the nomination and expression of interest forms, two aspirants were disqualified by the David Mark-led screening committee, while another aspirant and former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, opted out of the race and the party.
From the 14 aspirants currently onboard to contest for the PDP’s presidential ticket, the party’s delegates are expected to elect one of these presidential hopefuls. Sequel to President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to withhold assent to the amendment to Section 84(8) of the Electoral Act, 2022 which seeks to confer the status of automatic delegates on the President, Vice President, Governors, former governors, National Assembly members, among others, only elected delegates, one from each Local Government Area, are eligible to vote during PDP convention.
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There are fears that the development could provide a leeway for a shift in the balance of power between the North with more local government areas and the South with fewer local government areas.
Atiku is believed to be banking on delegates from non-PDP states, the majority of which are in the north.
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Most of the respondents who spoke with Saturday Tribune under anonymity expressed optimism that some aspirants are poised to pull surprises at the convention. These are Atiku, Saraki and Wike.
One of the PDP delegates from Ondo State who is backing Atiku said “the principal idea behind the decision of the party to throw the presidential position open to all geo-political zones is to ensure that the PDP does not deprive itself of the best candidate that can win the presidency for us in 2023.
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“So, we are here to win the 2023 election; that is our primary purpose, of course. Where and how to allocate positions is not as important to a political party like who can win an election for the party.
“This is the enlightened self-interest of the PDP as at today. It is the reason why the leadership of the party did not yield to the clamour for zoning and that same interest will determine the outcome of our convention today.”
Atiku
Chairman of the Atiku Campaign Publicity Sub-Committee, Dr Don Pedro Obaseki, told Saturday Tribune he was optimistic that Atiku will be victorious at the intraparty polls.
He said, “Atiku is the candidate to beat. He enjoys tremendous support from the delegates who are of the indisputable conviction that only a visionary leader and unifier can galvanise the nation to overcome its daunting challenges and facilitate peace, cohesion, justice, fairness, equality and economic prosperity. We are at the convention to win because we have a credible aspirant.
“Atiku is exploiting the goodwill he enjoys among the vast political network of associates that he has built over time across the country beside his large war chest.
Another official of Atiku’s campaign told Saturday Tribune that the party would go for “someone with experience and is a good material to market across this country. With due respect to the other aspirants, I dare say that no one amongst them has name recognition like Atiku. Yes, Saraki has name recognition too, but you can’t compare him with Atiku.”
There have been speculations that the Ayu-led NWC of the party is more amenable to the emergence of the former vice president and had been accused in some quarters of working towards that.
Ayu has denied this, pledging to ensure a level playing field at today’s primaries.
Wike
The Rivers State governor has sold himself to delegates as the one who sustained the main opposition party when it lost power in 2015 and was abandoned by many of its leading lights. He has toured all the states of the federation, reaching out to delegates and other party stakeholders with the message that he is the only one among the 14 aspirants that can defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in next year’s election.
Former Kaduna State governor, Ahmed Makarfi, who was also the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, had said after an assessment of the aspirants in the race that if it was within his power, he would have appointed Wike as the presidential flag bearer of the party.
He based his submission on what he observed as the oxygen Wike provided for the party when it was suffering potent asphyxiation.
Wike is believed to have the respect of the party hierarchy, as he was largely responsible for the ouster of the Prince Uche Secondusled National Working Committee (NWC) that paved the way for the present Iyorchia Ayu-led national leadership.
The Rivers governor also boats of his courage to confront any adversary and his achievements in office, which he tells delegates that he will replicate as president if elected.
Saraki
Former President of the Senate, Saraki has been seen as a smooth operator in the race, initially trying to rally other aspirants around his own ambition.
Even though this did not materialise, he was thought to have been able to secure the support of a substantial number of delegates that may yet swing the election in his favour.
The former Kwara State governor is said to have conviced North Central delegates to back him as their own, noting that 2023 presents the best opportunity for the zone to produce the president.
From the last public interaction with the North Central delegates, they promised him a block vote. Saraki also has enormous support across the country.
Others
Governors Aminu Tambuwal of (Sokoto State), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom State), and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi State) are aspirants that are also expected to make their marks at the national convention.
Others in the race are former President of the Senate Anyim Pius Anyim; former Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer Products Plc, West Africa, Sam Ohuabunwa: former bank chief executive officer, Mohammed Hayatudeen; former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose; magazine publisher; Dele Momodu, Charles Okwudili, Chikwendu Kalu and the only female in the race, Olivia Tariela.
A source in the campaign office of one of the aspirants told Saturday Tribune that the switch from the known format of the enlarged delegates to the new system with a reduced number of delegates would affect the outcome of the election today.
According to the source, “the expectation was that the president would sign the amendment of the Electoral Act and that primaries would hold according to the provision of the amendment. Unfortunately, we are forced to approach an election with a new law that has never been tested and you will expect that there will be some teething problems in terms of logistics.”
Another campaign staff that spoke with our correspondent said: “Although the reduction in the figure of delegates that will be voting at the convention is a good development, you cannot rule out the fact that it will affect planning and other critical concerns that the aspirants had planned ahead.”
This is one reason also that a good number of the delegates believe that Atiku holds the ace. The projection amongst many of the delegates is that the state caucuses of the party from the North will come to the convention in one bloc to vote for Atiku and Tambuwal.
A delegate from Abia State, who spoke with Saturday Tribune said that the exit of the former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, from the race has opened the Eastern flanks to hunting and many of the delegates from the East will prefer to go with Atiku rather than with Wike.
Governors divided
Saturday Tribune gathered that at least four major tendencies emerged on Friday as leaders of the party tried to streamline their positions ahead of the primaries taking place today at the National Stadium, Abuja.
Two of the camps included both serving and former state governors elected on the ticket of the party but who are divided on which of the 14 aspirants they should back at the convention. The development came as the various caucuses, aspirants and their foot soldiers stepped up horse-trading at the dawn of the primary.
Members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party met behind closed-door in Abuja on Friday to assess preparations for the convention. It was learnt that the BoT members expressed concern over the confusion triggered by raging power tussle among some blocs, among them is that of the governors.
When contacted on the phone by Saturday Tribune, the source said the various caucuses within PDP were still working across purposes as at 7pm on Friday on the bid for PDP ticket. “You called at the right time; we have just left a meeting of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the party. We have not arrived at any definite decision concerning who should be the choice at tomorrow’s primary of the party.”
According to the source, who pleaded not to be identified, “Any number can win; there is serious disagreement. There are about three or four camps. Atiku is there; Wike is there and members of the governors’ forum want to prop up a candidate against the camp of Tambuwal. The identity of the aspirant is still being kept secret by those governors behind the plot.
He added: “Different groups have emerged within the party either on the basis of PDP Governors Forum, BoT, the National Working Committee (NWC) and others. So, that is the big problem confronting us as a party. Each camp is pursuing its own agenda,” the source told Saturday Tribune.
On the insinuations that certain aspirants were using money to compromise the process, the source said delegates could still satisfy their conscience after such inducement.
He also spoke on the status of the elders that met under the aegis of BoT to appraise the situation on ground at the dawn of the primary, stating: “The BoT, as an organ, is not supporting any aspirant; we are just observers; we are not even delegates. But I can tell you that at the moment, everything is still dicey.”