By Dirisu Yakubu

Ahead of the Presidential primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, slated for May 28/29, the Iyorchia Ayu-led National Working Committee and other layers of leadership of the party are finding it difficult, if not impossible to make things easier for the aspirants.

As at the time of filing this report, the likes of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, ex- Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Governors Aminu Tambuwal, Bala Mohammed of Sokoto and Bauchi states respectively as well as the duo of erstwhile Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim and ace publisher, Dele Momodu, have obtained the N40m expression of interest and nomination forms, amidst clamour for zoning the ticket to the south.

Proponents of zoning insist that in 2019, there was a unanimous agreement that the north be allowed to produce the Presidential candidate of the party; a development that led to the office of the national organizing secretary of the party, selling the Presidential nomination forms to only aspirants of northern extraction. Thus, all 12 aspirants who squared up for the sole ticket in Port Harcourt were northerners.

Consequently, the likes of Governor Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) have been consistent in their call for a similar scenario to play out this time, with the south as the beneficiary zone.

However, Ayu has not been able to take a categorical stand on why the party should either zone or throw the race open to all eligible contestants. As a result, anyone able to cough out the huge sum is at liberty to approach the party to obtain same, leaving the contestants to dig deep into party caucuses capable of giving them support at the primaries.

Earlier in the week, veteran journalist and one of the Presidential hopeful, Dele Momodu warned of the danger of shutting anyone out of the race in the name of zoning, reminding everyone who cared to listen that 40m in any currency is a huge sum of money to be collected “for services not rendered.”

His words: “As you all know, ladies and gentlemen, N40 million is a lot of money in any currency but it is the big sacrifice we must make for the sake of this generation and generations unborn in our great country. Nigeria has been effectively hijacked by a political class that cares only about itself and almost nothing about unity, development and progress of the nation and the good people of our dear beloved country.

“On the issue of zoning or no zoning, I believe that allowing all aspirants to buy their forms at N40 million suggests that the race is open to all, regardless of what part of Nigeria they come from. It is practically and legally impossible for a political party to disqualify an aspirant on account of zoning after collecting a whopping N40 million for services not rendered. I am therefore happy to join this race and I am expecting a level playing ground for all aspirants as repeatedly promised by our respectable and cerebral national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu.”

In what appeared a shot fired in the direction of Atiku Abubakar, who has been severally accused of turning his back against the party in its moment of crisis, Momodu commended PDP for standing up to be counted in rain and shine, adding that the south has done enough to preserve unity and cohesion within the party fold.

“I wish to humbly suggest to the formidable southern leaders not to panic about zoning at all. I love their resolve on insisting that power must shift to the south and the only assured way to achieve this is for all the southern regions to unite and reach out to their friends in other parts of the country. The unity of our country should be paramount, but it should be based on mutual respect. Our governors must be commended for the way they have invested in keeping our party alive and well at a time some of our leaders were nowhere to be found.

“Those who truly love our party should do nothing to suggest that they can and will bully or cow other members into submission. Indeed, it is this generation that we need most to participate in the process because it is for them that we seek to govern. It is a known fact that no political party in opposition can hope to win in elections against a ruling party in power by relying solely on its members for votes. I’m the only aspirant currently who originates from the two major zones of the South- South and South-West with extensive links in the South-East and friends across the nation. No serious political party can ignore those zones, and not do so at its own peril.

“The last elected president of PDP was a southerner, Dr Goodluck Jonathan while the last contested PDP candidate was a northerner, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who I supported wholeheartedly and voluntarily. Also, the current serving President, General Muhammadu Buhari, against whom Alhaji Atiku contested, is of northern Fulani descent. Therefore, the two main political parties fielded northerners in 2019 and the heavens did not fall. The South supported the candidacy of one or the other northerner, without protest or complaint. I see no reason that cannot be the case in respect of a decision by the two main parties to field southern candidates in the upcoming 2023 elections. Indeed, it is very right and sensible to do so in view of the serious agitations for a breakup of Nigeria into several nations,” he added.

Give it to Saraki, he’s smart

One of the factors many Nigerians identified as a weakness in the aspiration of Bukola Saraki to lead Nigeria is his geographical bearing. Kwara, the home state of the medical doctor turned politician is tucked in the North Central zone of the country, making him a northerner. However, Saraki speaks very little Hausa language and this linguistic challenge is seen as a barrier, politically. While his native Yoruba sees him as a northerner, the north sees him as not “northern” enough to bear the flag reserved for that zone.

READ ALSO: 2023 PRESIDENCY: Tough zoning options for PDP

Appearing before the House of Representatives caucus of the PDP in continuation of his ongoing consultation this week, Saraki wooed the lawmakers with a delivery that succeeded in turning the heads of most if not all when he said, “by the bye-products of where I come from, a true reflection of the Nigerian, I can be that bridge between the northern part of this country and the southern part of this country. I believe also I can reach across the religious divide of Muslims and Christians.”

As the import of that statement was being digested, Saraki added: “I can reach across the most important divide between the private sector and the public sector because of my background. You need all these qualities to unite this country. And this is not by just a bypass, but also by where I come from and how I have lived my life.”

Gang up against Atiku?

Only recently, chairman, Technical Committee of the Atiku Support Group, Raymond Dokpesi alerted of an alleged gang up against the former Vice President without going into specifics. Tuesday, Saraki met with Tambuwal and Bala Mohammed with the sole agenda of coming up with a consensus candidate. Same has been interpreted as a gang up against the former Vice President, given that he was no involved in the tripartite meeting; a charge dismissed by Saraki in a chat with newsmen in Abuja on Friday.

“Those making such insinuations are mischievous who never see any good out of anything. We are not shutting anybody out. As we said, we are going to see him (Atiku). 

“We are going to see other aspirants, the other aspirants in the party. This is not about shutting anybody out. It is about uniting everybody with the interests of this country. And you will see when we begin to move around, but we are not limited to anybody,” he said. 

Task before Ortom-led committee

The appointment of Governor Samuel Ortom as chairman of the 37-man committee on zoning was announced last week by national chairman of PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu. The Benue state governor is expected to provide the needed leadership that would guide the brainstorming in coming up with an answer to the necessity or otherwise of zoning.

A member of the committee who does not want his name in print told Sunday Vanguard that “there is no way the committee would advise the party to cede its Presidential ticket to any of the zone, given that forms are already being sold. The most likely counsel our panel would give is to encourage every member of our party with the requisite qualification and enablement to vie for the ticket. That would be in interest of democracy,” he added.

The big questions

How prepared is the south to rally support for a northern candidate in the event of the emergence of one on May 28 this year? Should the party think about winning first and power sharing later as Governor Tambuwal recently advocated? Won’t the south see itself as an appendage of the north is the ticket is thrown open? These are the questions the Ayu-led NWC should answer as skeletal preparations for the 2023 general election begin.

Vanguard News Nigeria