2023: PDP to field consensus presidential candidate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be fielding a consensus candidate  for the 2023 presidential election, the party’s Board of Trustees Chairman, Senator Walid Jibril has said.

According to Jibril, who spoke at a press conference in Kaduna on Thursday, in order to achieve this, the party will embark on nationwide consultations among its members.

He further revealed that the consultation visits would also be used to reconcile its aggrieved members in order to have a united front and position itself for the task of taking over government in 2023 from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The PDP BOT chairman  also revealed that his board has raised a committee to find out why the party lost the recent governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states, added that any member with presidential ambition was free to exercise his right to do so.

Though he did not say which zone would produce the consensus candidate, he stressed that the BOT believed it was better for the PDP members to agree on a consensus candidate before the general elections.

He said: “On the presidential candidate, the National Working Committee (NWC), in consultation with all relevant organs will reveal the plan soon.

“I don’t think there is anything wrong if  anybody from any zone  showed  interest, but our collective decision will bring out an agreeable candidate.

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“What is right now before us is for us to work hard to unite the party by making it strong and unbeatable in the next presidential election.

“The BOT is already making necessary arrangements to end the crisis between governor of Rivers State, Nyeson Wike and the governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, and of course, among all party members in order to   take over government from the ruling party in 2023.

“The disunity among our PDP governors demands this urgent intervention by the party. The highest advisory body, the BOT, is ready to remain neutral all the time.

“We have also directed the BOT committee on peace and conflicts to visit Edo, Kano, Lagos, Osun, Bayelsa and other states where acrimonies exist to make peace.

“I enjoin all members of our great party to stay away from hate speech and avoid abusive language among us and even among non-members.

“All we need now is consultations and dialogue in solving our problems and not dismissal or suspension.

“Reconciliations should continue in the units, wards, Local government areas, states and national levels.

“Another board committee has been directed to start working on why we lost the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.”

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