PDP presidential consensus deal suffers setback as confusion hits aspirants’ camps

The much touted deal by prominent presidential aspirants under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to present a consensus candidate for the 2023 presidential election, may have suffered a setback.

This was after the camp of the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, one of the leading proponents of the deal, rejected reports that former Senate President Bukola Saraki and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed May have emerged the consensus candidates of northern elders of the party.

The Tambuwal Campaign Organisation (TCO), in a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Organisation and Mobilisation, Nicholas Msheliza, dismissed the reports, saying it was not only false but misleading.

The TCO was reacting to reports during the week that the duo of Saraki and Mohammed had been endorsed by Northern elders of the party after a meeting that was held in Minna, the capital of Niger State.

The group insinuated that Saraki had caused some form of confusion in arrangements for aspirants to meet and discuss the issue with other stakeholders, even as it said the arrangement was to produce one candidate and not two candidates, as indicated by the reports.

“Our attention has been drawn to a news item that former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Governor Bala Muhammad of Bauchi State, have emerged as consensus candidates from amongst the four of us announced at a meeting in Minna, Niger State,” the TCO statement reads.

“This is, to be candid and forthright, not correct. The correct situation is that the team met on Wednesday 20th April, 2022, at Bauchi Governor’s lodge in Abuja and had a review meeting; and, unanimously agreed that the consensus arrangement was not working.

“The team further agreed that Saraki should come up with a draft statement on how to communicate this decision to the Nigerian public.

“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 pm of the same day was aborted unilaterally by Saraki via a WhatsApp message.

“However, on Thursday, April 21, 2022, same Saraki circulated yet another WhatsApp message suggesting that members of the team should head to Minna for a meeting on Friday.

“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 Tambuwal was absent at Friday meeting in Minna. As a result therefore, the outcome of the Minna meeting has no consequence or any implication on the aspiration of Tambuwal, who had earlier on informed his colleagues of maintaining their agreed position that the initiative has collapsed.

“Members of the public should be reminded that what was canvassed for was a consensus candidate and not consensus candidates.

Read also: PDP presidential aspirant, Ohuabunwa warns on plot to stop South-East in 2023

“For the avoidance of doubt, Tambuwal has submitted his presidential nomination forms and now that the quest for a consensus candidate out of the four has clearly collapsed, will go ahead and face screening and indeed contest the PDP presidential primaries.

“This is in consonance with his acclaimed outlook as a pan-Nigerian candidate, with pedigree of national service as the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, life member of the Body of Benchers and now in his second and final term as Governor of Sokoto State,” Msheliza said.

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