The aspirants include former Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former National Security Adviser, General Aliyu Gusau and Governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki.
A 17-man panel, among them top northern leaders like Malam Adamu Ciroma, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Dr Iorychia Ayu, Jigawa State Governor, Malam Sule Lamido and 13 others are expected to meet this week to deliberate on who among these aspirants should go into the PDP primary elections to struggle for the presidential ticket against President Goodluck Jonathan.
Attempts by Sunday Trust to obtain information on the criteria the wise men would use to choose the region’s consensus candidate hit a brick wall. Members of the committee contacted by our reporter claimed that they had been gagged and would not reveal their scheme.
Sunday Trust learnt that the presidential aspirants have doubled their efforts to convince governors, traditional rulers, political leaders and delegates to the PDP congress, following indications that the National Assembly may, this week, give its nod to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s request for an amendment to the new Electoral Act to give the election umpire more time to prepare for the 2011 general elections.Cont’d from page 1
Speaking to Sunday Trust at the weekend, Senator Ben Obi, the Director-General of General Gusau’s campaign organisation said though the former NSA joined the race quite late, his team is doubling its efforts to win the support of political leaders in order to achieve his ambition.
Senator Obi said, “We are having series of meetings with key political figures across the country, and we will be meeting the women leaders of various organizations, zones and states, and those of them who could be delegates, we are going to have meetings and discussions with them. We are going to be all busy in the days and weeks ahead. We’ll meet governors, traditional rulers and all others.”
When asked how far the consensus committee had gone with its assignment, Senator Obi, who is representing General Gusau on the committeem said: “We are on. There is an expanded team that is also working on this issue. I am sure that at the end of the day they would do justice to it. What is important is to know that all the candidates have agreed they would support whosoever is chosen by the ‘wise men.’ Then, we just have to wait for them to come up with the decision. I do know that it is not an easy task. Everybody is wondering: ‘when are they going to release the outcome of their meetings?”
In the same vein, the spokesman of Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s campaign organization, Malam Garba Shehu told Sunday Trust that the team was “running like J-5” in order to sell their programmes to prominent Nigerians and garner enough to support to compete in the primaries.
Shehu said, “We can’t relax. We have to travel to all over the country to garner support. We’ll be talking to governors, delegates and political leaders to seek their support; we’ll reach out to all the delegates to the convention, and we hope that in the next days we will cover, at least, two-third of the country. Next week (this week), we’ll unfold our media campaign, and you will find our billboards, posters everywhere.”
He said that the period Atiku was kept in suspense over PDP’s waiver slowed down the campaign train of the former Vice President, but with indications that there may be an amendment to the Electoral Act to enable more time for the 2011 elections, the organization would mobilize its forces to garner more support.
On the part of Kwara State Governor, Dr Saraki, Sunday Trust learnt that apart from making contacts with his colleagues for support, his father, Dr. Olusola Saraki, has been moving from one traditional ruler to another in the North, soliciting support for the presidential of his son. Sunday Trust gathered further that, at the weekend, Governor Saraki paid a ‘private’ visit to his Jigawa State counterpart, Malam Sule Lamido, who is one of the ’17 wise men.’ The theme of their discussion was kept secret, but the presidential aspirant went to Kano to confer with the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, before leaving the region.
However, the Director of Media and Publicity of the governor’s campaign organization, Malam Garba Deen Muhammad, told Sunday Trust last night that Dr Saraki, “with his antecedents is competent to compete with any candidate at the federal level,” therefore, his campaign, which will kick-off in earnest this week will be issue-based. Garba Deen said, “We have confidence in the 17 wise men. We believe they have the ability to come up with a credible and competent presidential candidate. As we wait for their decision, our campaign will be issue-driven, devoid of mudslinging. We cannot waste our time and energy on dirty tricks.”
On his part, General Ibrahim Babangida’s campaign organization, Sunday Trust learnt, has intensified its “contact with political leaders in all parts of the country,” according to a source, in order to win more support that could raise his profile.
Meanwhile, a coalition of youth groups under the auspices of Arewa Citizens Action for Change (ACAC) has charged the ‘17 wise men,’ the Northern Elders Assembly, to come up with a consensus presidential candidate who has no record of ‘political deception.’
Addressing a press conference at the weekend in Abuja, the National Vice President of Northern Youth Leaders Forum, Nelson Archer, said the elders should not pick an aspirant that is lacking political credibility or one whose popularity is only felt in the North.
“We want a candidate with decent track records, who has no case of fraud, corrupt-enrichment, and the type EFCC will screen out. We will not endorse a candidate who has a record of political deception or one that has irreconcilable difference with any of the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. He must, above all, be capable and highly experienced in terms of governance at a higher level (local and international). He must be one never to compromise national interest for regional interest.”
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