The plan for the Peoples Democratic Party to select a consensus candidate for the 2023 Presidential election has collapsed.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Tambuwal Campaign Organization (TCO) platform of PDP Presidential Aspirant, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, on Friday.
Tambuwal had joined another PDP Presidential aspirant to call for a consensus candidate in 2023 in order to maintain fairness and inclusion in the party.
What they are saying
The four major aspirants in support of consensus are former President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki; Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State; Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and the former Managing Director of FSB International Bank, Alhaji Mohammed Hayatudeen.
TCO, in the statement signed by its Director of Organisation and Mobilisation, Nicholas Msheliza, said that the quest for a consensus candidate by the team had failed.
- “Our attention has been drawn to a news item that former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Gov. Bala Muhammad of Bauchi State have emerged as consensus candidates from amongst the four of us announced at a meeting in Minna, Niger.
- “This, to be candid and forthright, is not correct,” he said.
- Msheliza added that the team met on Wednesday, April, 20 at Bauchi Governor’s Lodge in Abuja and had a review meeting and unanimously agreed that the consensus arrangement was not working.
- “This was the last time that members of the team sat and mutually agreed on anything. The proposed meeting to review and vet the statement scheduled for 10 p.m. of the same day was aborted unilaterally by Sen. Saraki via a WhatsApp message.
- “However, on Thursday, 21st April 2022, the same Sen. Saraki circulated yet another WhatsApp message suggesting that members of the team should head to Minna for a meeting on Friday.
- “Gov. Tambuwal reached other members of the team and informed them that he stands by the decision of the team that the initiative is not working.
- “This is the reason Gov. Tambuwal was absent at today’s (Friday) meeting in Minna.
- “As a result, therefore, the outcome of the Minna meeting has no consequence or any implication on the aspiration of Gov. Tambuwal who had earlier on informed his colleagues of maintaining their agreed position that the initiative has collapsed,” he said.
He added that now that the quest for a consensus candidate out of the four has clearly collapsed, they will each go ahead and face screening and indeed contest the PDP presidential primaries.
In case you missed it
Nairametrics reported earlier that Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State submitted his nomination and expression of interest form for the presidential election and also revealed his support for a consensus candidate within the party, which he says is healthy for the party.
