North East PDP demand for presidential ticket may trigger fresh crisis

By Femi Qudus…

A new crisis may be brewing in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the decision to zone its ticket for the 2019 presidential election to the north.

A source very close to the party, informed ripplesnigeria.com, that the party may be heading for a new wave of crisis if the issue is not properly managed.
According to the source, the northeast wing of northern Nigeria is making a very strong case for it to be allowed to produce the presidential candidate.

The source disclosed that northeast chapter of the party is hinging its demand on the fact that all those who had led Nigeria so far, either as president or military head of state, are from the north west and north central wing of the north.

Except for Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa who was Prime Minister in the first republic and hailed from what is today Bauchi State, all presidents from the north have been shared between North West and north central.

For instance, Gens. Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalam Abubakar are from Plateau and Niger states respectively while Gen. Murtala Mohammed, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Sani Abacha, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari are from Sokoto, Kano and Katsina states.

Read also: Under Buhari, Nigeria ‘is coming to an end’- PDP

Our source said PDP leaders from the north east zone are reaching out to those from the North West and north central to seek their support for the demand.
“You see, they have a logical demand. However, the issue is will they succeed? The PDP zoned the ticket to the north. It did not say north west or north east or north central, but here we are with some people from the north east making a case for the north to allow it present a candidate.

“If their demand sails through, the candidate they bring forward will become a consensus candidate for the north under the PDP. But I don’t see the possibility for now”, our source said.

The north east consists of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe states.
Thus far, only ex-Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and incumbent governor of Gombe state, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, have been touted as having interest in contesting for the presidential ticket of the party from the zone.

There are indications however that political bigwigs in the country favour Atiku who is considered a veteran with pan-Nigerian disposition against Dankwambo, who many state governors seem to back, but is said to be too inexperienced.

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