The last minute efforts by some
key stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to broker a consensus
deal among all the northern presidential aspirants have fallen through.
In a meeting held in the early hours of Saturday, May 28, 2022, the northern
stakeholders made frantic efforts to convince the aspirants to put forward a
common front to bring home the PDP presidential ticket, Daily Trust reported.
However, the gladiators which include former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar,
former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Governors of Bauchi and Sokoto
states, Bala Mohammed and Aminu Tambuwal respectively, rejected all entreaties
to set down and endorse one of them.
The only aspirant who acceded to the proposition is the former bank executive,
Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, who has since announced his withdrawal from the race.
It was gathered that the leaders envisioned an imminent possibility of Rivers
State Governor, Nyesom Wike, clinching the most coveted ticket should the
northern contingent failed to present a common front at the convention.
“A lot of them don’t believe Wike can win the general election but as it is it
is almost clear that he can coast to victory if the northern candidates didn’t
close their ranks,” the source told the newspaper.
Meanwhile, delegates and party stalwarts have continued to make their way into
the MKO Abiola Stadium, venue of the PDP presidential convention as
accreditation commenced.
The primaries will be contested by 13 aspirants after the former Anambra state
Governor, Peter Obi and Hayatu-Deen, pulled out of the race.
Obi has since pitched his tent with the Labour Party whose platform he would
seek to contest for the most coveted office in the land next year.