However, some presidential aspirants of the PDP, including ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, and a for
However, some presidential aspirants of the PDP, including ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; the President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, and a former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Monday disagreed on the presidential ticket of the party in the 2019 elections. At separate fora on Monday, the three of them expressed readiness to go for the primary.
Saraki, during a meeting with the Benue State Working Committee of the PDP in Makurdi, insisted that it was the turn of the North-Central zone to lead the country. The President of the Senate also stated that his presidential aspiration was driven by an obsession for justice, fairness, and respect for the rule of law.
Also, the spokesman for the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Mr Segun Sowunmi, said his principal was confident of emerging the PDP candidate. Sowunmi said since the PDP had not micro-zoned the Presidency to the North-Central, Atiku would not step down for anyone. He said, “The business of zoning is a party matter, and the PDP, to the best of my knowledge, has not micro-zoned its Presidency. It was only zoned to the North. Having said that, the former Vice-President has evolved beyond the candidacy of a tendency or even a zone.
“He is a pan-Nigeria candidate but we recognise that this country has become extremely divided and it takes a pan-Nigerian, who has a relationship with every part of this country to be able to bring the nation together. This is one of the many reasons he is needed.”
Kwankwaso stated that only he could defeat President Muhammadu Buhari and as such would prefer to go for the primary rather than backing down for anybody. Speaking through his Secretary, Binta Spikin, he said, “It is important for the PDP to present a popular candidate who can beat Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.”
Reacting to the claim that it was the turn of the North-Central to lead the country, she stated, “No, we don’t agree and I don’t think we should agree. Why? It is because what we are looking at is that person who can deliver votes. And going by the happenings in Nigeria, Senator Kwankwaso is the only person who can beat President Muhammadu Buhari. That is if you are talking about mass followership.
