About a year to the 2023 general elections, the war between governors and other major contenders for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket has continued to gather momentum. ABDULRAHMAN ZAKARIYAU writes on the plots and counterplots in the opposition party.
As we approach the 2023 general elections, governors who have subtly indicated interest in the PDP’s presidential ticket are: Governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Bauchi state governor, Senator Bala Mohammed and lately, the Rivers state governor, Nyesome Wike.
Other major contenders include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Presidents of the Senate Pius Anyim and Bukola Saraki; former Kano state governor Rabiu Kwankwaso; industrialist Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa and Ovation magazine publisher Dele Momodu.
As permutations and consultations continue within and outside the party, it is obvious that the contest for the PDP ticket is going to be between the governors’ group and the other group.
Blueprint Weekend exclusively gathered that through their aides, spokespersons, recruited consultants and PDP support groups they’re financing, the governors’ group and the other groups have declared ‘war’ against one another ahead of the party’s primaries.
Atiku, others
Like a man who is ready for war, Atiku’s Side, Segun Sowunmi, ignited the fire in his letter to the PDP Governors’ Forum recently, asking the party to reject a “kindergarten president and commander-in-chief.”
In a veiled reference to the contenders within the PDP governors trying to challenge his principal, he said by the time President Buhari “is done,” there would be so many challenges that Nigerians especially youths won’t tolerate “a kindergarten president and commander in chief.”
“Everyone wants to be president after Buhari, but not everyone can do the work that a post-Buhari president will be called upon to do. Presidential powers and privileges mean nothing if the prerequisite experience is absent. We cannot jump from frying pan to fire.
“By 2023, three zones will be most eligible – South-east, North-east and North- central. We must avoid the danger of a baton passing between just the North- west and the South-west. This is way too risky. With the agitation of the South- east now, we can least afford, as a country, this type of agitation from the other zones who as of right must feel a need to occupy the Number One Seat in the country.
Political analysts believe Sowunmi’s statement was a strategic move to promote the aspiration of Atiku for the party’s ticket and a proxy attack on the younger contenders within the party’s governors’ forum.
Omeire, Afegbua’s reactions
Interesting, the spokesman of the PDP Action 2023, Dr. Rufus Omeire and a former Commissioner for Information in Edo state, Kassim Afegbua, defended the governors in their reactions. They queried Atiku’s political relevance and noted that the former vice-president is not qualified to run on the account of his age.
Omeire said: “With respect to relevant experience for the top job, let us x-ray the candidates. Atiku Abubakar’s public sector experience consists of the deputy director of Customs, a subordinate position. He never became chief executive of Customs and Excise Department. The buck never for one day stopped on his table in the Customs Service.
“He became vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a highly exalted office, but he was never a chief executive. He only carried out instructions of his boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo. He never had the experience of a chief executive. The buck never stopped at his table. The president could accept or reject his recommendations.
“He didn’t have the relevant direct experience of the top job. So, wherein lies the famed experience of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar? He clearly doesn’t have the requisite public sector experience. Other aspirants seem to have better public sector experience; some have solid private sector experience as chief executives.
“Tambuwal, Saraki and Anyim headed Houses of the Legislature at the federal level as chief executives. The buck stopped on their tables as speaker and Presidents of the Senate. Tambuwal, Bala Mohammed, Wike and Saraki have relevant executive experience as governors. They have seen it all from the executive point of view.”
On his part, Afegbua said, “Having concluded the convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with new leadership that looks promising, the party will have to rise above board to produce a presidential candidate from the Southern part of the country to complete the narrative.
“With the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari on account of age, it will be immoral for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to continue to express interest in seeking election in the 2023 presidential election having attained the retirement age.
“He cannot assume the role of a perpetual candidate or professional aspirant year in, year out, as though the party was established for him alone. It defeats all sense of logic for such an old man to attempt another round of the political contest at a time the general feeling and mood in the country supports a younger Nigerian from the Southern part of the country.
“For me, furthermore, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should drop his quest for the presidency and support a southern Nigerian candidate in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice; that will assuage the feelings of stakeholders from the Southern part of Nigeria. It will be against the run of play and natural justice for any aspirant of Northern extraction to show interest in the 2023 presidential election within the PDP.
“It will offend national sentiments, emotions and logic for anyone from the North to show such interest given our diversities and heterogeneous political configurations. Given PDP’s doctrine of political power balancing and fairness, it will be against its own unwritten rule to cede the ticket to any Northern aspirant least of all Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
“After the 2019 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar abandoned all of us in Nigeria and sought refuge in far away Dubai, thus exposing us to the intimidation, harassment and threats from the desperate APC’s power oligarchs.”
Wike leads war for govs
Like a wounded lion that has learnt its lesson, the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, is leading the PDP governors in a proxy war and plotting to wrestle the party’s ticket from Atiku and others.
Recall that while Wike was all out in support of his friend, Sokoto state governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, in 2018 for the party’s presidential ticket, but Atiku tactically defeated them in Wike’s territory, Port Harcourt.
A source close to the governors and the party’s national leaders exclusively told this reporter that Wike has taken steps to prevent a repeat of what happened during the PDP 2018 primary elections in Port Harcourt.
According to the source who does not want his name in print, “The plot started from the way the current PDP national working committee (NWC) was constituted. The governors, especially Wike, played a role in the emergence of almost every member of the Dr. Iyorchia Ayu-led National Working Committee (NWC). So, this plot was to prepare themselves for the party’s 2023 presidential ticket.”
“In recent time, Wike has toured most of the PDP-controlled states. His visit to Oyo, Adamawa, Bauchi, Enugu, Abia, Benue, Sokoto and other states is to lobby his counterparts who have now willingly submitted to him to lead and finance their 2023 agenda.
“Their 2023 agenda which is spearheaded by Wike is that Atiku should at all cost not be the PDP 2023 presidential candidate, but one of them should become the party’s presidential candidate.
“On second thought, the governors under the leadership of Wike also want the party’s ticket zoned to the South, perhaps for him and other party members from the zone. A few of the governors and party stalwarts who think the party needs a candidate from the North to win the 2023 elections are not with him on the Southern agenda, but except for the Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, other governors from the South are behind Wike’s Southern agenda.
“The major reason they are having monthly meetings in different states is to appraise themselves and re-strategise on how to achieve their 2023 agenda. In recent time, they have also recruited many consultants, columnists, activists and even finance many political groups within and outside the PDP to de-market Atiku and subtly sell their agenda; that is of one of them becoming the party’s candidate to Nigerians and party faithful in particular.”
The counter moves
Like a war veteran, Atiku and former President of the Senate Bukola Saraki has also launched a counter move against the governors.
A reliable source that is also a member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) said Atiku who is yet to formally declare his intention is all out to fight back with all his political arsenal, noting that “this is perhaps the last chance for Atiku considering his age.”
“The former vice-president is also making moves against the governors. Having realised that a few of the governors with huge resources to throw around are wooing their colleagues to support their agenda, Atiku is also using the running mate (vice-president) as bait to win some to his side.
“To a large extent, the PDP governors’ forum is divided as the Wazirin Adamawa has succeeded in using the vice-president slot to cause division among the governors.
“Another smart move from Atiku against the governors is that while the governors have hijacked the NWC, he has also taken over the Board of Trustees (BoT). Aside from this, the former vice-president is equipping former governors; former senators; former members of the House of Representatives; former ministers and other former public officers with both human and material resources to enable them to tackle the dominance of the serving governors and push his interest.
“Recall that some of these former public office holders and even former appointees are not on the same page the serving governors; so they are not just fighting for Atiku, rather they are fighting for themselves.
“Other contenders like: Anyim, Saraki and former Kano state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Blueprint gathered, are all out to ensure that the party’s ticket does not go to any of the governors. “As a matter of fact they won’t mind to support Atiku, like they did during the 2018 PDP presidential primary in Port Harcourt, Rivers state,” the source said.
Publicity scribe’s take
In his view, the party’s national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said all those interested in running should run.
In a phone chat with this reporter, Ologunagba said, “This is a party that is democratic in every principle. In everything that we do we are democratic. It is the fundamental right of people to aspire to any position.
“Once the person meets all the constitutional requirements, that is Nigeria and PDP constitutional requirements, that person can contest. So, to a large extent, we will follow the constitution.
“What is very important for us is that we will run a transparent primary election in choosing a candidate for the party. That is our focus. All contenders or aspirants can be assured of a free, fair, credible and acceptable primary election. Those that are interested in running should run. We guarantee that there will be a free and fair process.”
An expert’s position
A political analyst, Aminu Mohammed, in his opinion, said the proxy war within the caucus of the major contenders is expected considering that the general elections are close.
Mohammed in a phone with Blueprint Weekend said, “In about a year to the 2023 general elections, it is expected that those who want to succeed President Buhari will within the same political party engage in proxy war.
“In PDP, it is expected that the governors will engage in a proxy war against Atiku, Saraki and others. This is because whosoever emerges the PDP’s candidate also stands a chance. This is not just because of the abysmal performance of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but because the PDP is also a very popular party among Nigerians.
“So, the ability of a camp to de-market the other is expected and it will count now r during the party’s primary. Because delegates will remember some of the things they are criticising one another for and it may influence their choice of candidate for the party.
“In the last few days, we have read series of coordinated media attacks against Atiku, Tambuwal, Saraki and other major contenders. It is expected, but the way and manner they go about it will determine if they will still be political allies after the party primary.
“So, if they go about well, they will make up and work for the party’s success. But, if the proxy war becomes too dirty, the party will suffer. It may affect the chances of the PDP.”
