The leading opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may be headed for another round crisis following plots to subvert the party’s traditional zoning pattern and alliances to produce a consensus candidate, ABDULRAHMAN ZAKARIYAU writes.
A week after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), party commenced the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms, six presidential aspirants have bought their forms.
Those who have been documented to have purchased the N40 million forms are immediate past Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki; Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim; Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; his Bauchi State counterpart, Senator Bala Mohammed; and Media Mogul, Chief Dele Momodu.
Interestingly, among these aspirants and their supporter are people who have contrary opinions on zoning and consensus candidates. These have continued to heighten tension in the party ahead of the 2023 general election.
The PDP as the ruling party, in good faith, introduced the concept of zoning into Nigerian politics to promote national peace and unity. Section 7(2)(c) of the party’s constitution states: “… In pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness, the party shall adhere to the policy of rotation and zoning of the party and public elective offices.”
As events unfold, some aspirants and party chieftains have continued to declare their stance on zoning. The question running through the minds of many, however, is whether the party would zone its 2023 presidential ticket and the zoning formula that would be adopted.
Saraki, Tambuwal, Bala in consensus talks
To the surprise of many Saraki, Tambuwal and Mohammed, last Sunday in Bauchi, opted for consensus among the party’s 2023 presidential aspirants.
Committed to achieving a presidential consensus arrangement for the PDP, a follow-up meeting was held on Thursday in Abuja where they concluded to reach out to vice president Atiku Abubakar and other PDP presidential aspirants from all parts of the country.
Speaking, on behalf of the group, after the meeting, Saraki said, “We’re in this country today and it’s important as stakeholders that key leaders of this party ever seen to be united. Some of the decisions we’ve also taken today are that we are going to embark on reaching out to other aspirants.
“We have identified senior leaders of the party and other aspirants across the country and also stakeholders. Some of them are former colleagues, so we are going to reach out to all parts on this process of bringing us together.
“We’re committed to that process because we believe that once we unite as PDP who laid the foundation, a strong party will help in delivering Nigerians from the challenges that they’re facing now and prepare for the country to be much stronger as we go ahead.”
On whether the consensus meeting was plotted to shut out the likes of Atiku, the former senate president said, “Those are just people who do not see anything good; we are not shutting anybody out. As we said we are going to see him, it is not about shutting anybody out, it is about uniting everybody for the interest of this country. And you will see when we begin to go round. As we said we are going to see him and other aspirants of the party.”
Momodu backs zoning
The PDP Southern Governors Forum has insisted that the next president of Nigeria should come from the southern part of the country.
As the second southern presidential aspirant to purchase forms after Anyim, media mogul, Momodu, has also insisted that power must shift to the South.
He, however, cautioned that the only way to achieve power shift to the South was for all the states in the southern region to unite and reach out to their friends in other parts of the country.
“Rather than dissipate too much energy on fighting ourselves, our leaders should vent their humongous energies on presenting their credentials to the electorate and as a matter of urgency tell Nigerians how they plan to get them out of the cataclysmic mess we have found ourselves in.
“Leadership is not always about politics and politicking but about managing people and resources, successfully.
“I wish to humbly suggest to the formidable southern leaders not to panic about zoning at all. I love their resolve on insisting that power must shift to the South and the only assured way to achieve this is for all the southern regions to unite and reach out to their friends in other parts of the country.
“The unity of our country should be paramount, but it should be based on mutual respect. Those who truly love our party should do nothing to suggest that they can and will bully or cow other members into submission,” Momodu stated.
PDP must prioritise winning
Speaking during a consultative meeting with PDP women leaders, last week Friday, Tambuwal insisted that the party should be interested in winning and not zoning.
He said, “I know that the temperament is high about zoning, issues and decisions are being taken in various zones. I am appealing that we should pay more attention to the unity of the party. And win the election come 2023.
“All aspirants in our party are respected leaders, and there it is expected of us to conduct ourselves in such a way and manner that we must not divide the ranks of our followership. When we win, we will zone.”
Ortom’s committee to the rescue?
The PDP National Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, had inaugurated the Benue state Governor, Samuel Ortom-led 37-member-zoning committee in a bid to lay to rest the controversies.
The committee is expected to work out modalities for the sharing of positions of Senate President, Speaker of House of Representatives, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and other leadership positions in the two chambers of the National Assembly among the six geopolitical zones.
As directed by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), the Ortom-led committee has two weeks to resolve and come out with a position on the 2023 zoning arrangement.
All eyes are now on the committee as many political pundits have expressed fears that the recommendations of the committee may also be jettisoned to avoid party implosion, therefore, the ticket would be thrown open to all aspirants.
While many political pundits believe that the consensus would fail, others are optimistic that if done with sincerity of purpose the number of aspirants may be pruned down.
