By Saidu Idris
365Daily – Gradually, the structure to choose a consensus aspirant from the North who may get the nomination of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be its presidential candidate in 2023, is gaining traction.
The move initiated by the trio of Governors Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto state, Bala Muhammad of Bauchi state and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and now joined by another aspirant, Alhaji Muhammad Hayatudeen, erstwhile Managing Director, FSB International Bank PLC, TMSH, deepened on Monday when the initiators met with Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom in Makurdi earlier in the day.
Later the group which met with the Taraba state governor, Darius Ishaku at his Asokoro Lodge in Abuja, also met with former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at his Abuja residence.
Prior to the marathon meetings of Monday organised by the quadriumvirate, Tambuwal, Muhammad and Saraki had first met in Bauchi and in Abuja last week, after which they visited the National Chairman of the PDP, Prof. Iyorchia Ayu at his Maitama District residence.
The main thrust of the consultation is to convince disparate Northern contenders and other stakeholders from the Southern part of the country to set aside the zoning arrangement of the party in favor of a party anointed Presidential candidate.
Recall that the same consensus option brought forth the current chairman of the party and other members of the National Working Committee of the PDP as it is today.
After their closed door meeting in Makurdi, Saraki told reporters that the initiative was borne out of their desire to consult widely among the stakeholders as well as other aspirants to select one of them who would be supported by the rest of the party to rescue Nigeria from the APC.
The ex-Senate President disclosed that the plan of the consensus group is to meet with all the key stakeholders across the country, pointing out that all the aspirants on the platform of the party have the capacity to govern the country effectively.
Concurring that the PDP and all the Presidential aspirants have the capacity to rescue the country from its current travails, Governor Ortom said the party can get a consensus candidate who would be accepted by all.
He described the initiative of the three PDP aspirants as a step in the right direction, noting that as a party aspiring to take the country and rebuild it, nothing other than unity among party members is needed for it to be successful.