By Ezechukwu Chidozie
The initial consensus arrangement for presidential aspirants of northern extraction in People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has collapsed.
Thia is sequel to the Governor of Sokoto state and one of the aspirants, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, pulling out of the initial arrangement.
The information on the development was disclosed in a press statement by the Tambuwal Campaign Organization (TCO) Saturday night in Abuja.
The terse statement signed by Mr. Nicholas Msheliza, Director, Organisation and Mobilisation in behalf of the TCO, reads: “The attention of Tambuwal Campaign Organization (TCO) has been drawn to a news item that former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Gov. Bala Muhammad of Bauchi state have emerged as consensus candidates from amongst the four of us announced at a meeting in Minna, Niger state.
“This is, to be candid and forthright, not correct.
The correct situation is that the team met on Wednesday 20th April, 2022, at the Bauchi Governor’s Lodge in Abuja and had a review meeting; and, unanimously agreed that the consensus arrangement was not working.
“The team further agreed that Sen. Saraki should come up with a draft statement on how to communicate this decision to the Nigerian public.
“This was the last time that members of the team sat and mutually agreed on anything.
“The proposed meeting to review and vet the statement scheduled for 10 pm of the same day was aborted unilaterally by Sen. Saraki via a WhatsApp message.
“However, on Thursday, 21st, 2022, same Sen Saraki circulated yet another WhatsApp message suggesting that members of the team should head to Minna for a meeting on Friday.
“Gov. Tambuwal reached other members of the team and informed them that he stands by the decision of the team that the initiative is not working.
“This is the reason Gov. Tambuwal was absent at today’s (Friday) meeting in Minna.
“As a result therefore, the outcome of the Minna meeting has no consequence or any implication on the aspiration of Gov. Tambuwal, who had earlier on informed his colleagues of maintaining their agreed position that the initiative has collapsed.
“Members of the public should be reminded that what was canvassed for was a consensus candidate and not consensus candidates.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Gov Tambuwal has submitted his Presidential nomination forms and now that the quest for a consensus candidate out of the four has clearly collapsed, will go ahead and face screening and indeed contest the PDP presidential primaries.
“This is in consonance with his acclaimed outlook as a pan-Nigerian candidate, with pedigree of national service as a former Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, life member of the Body of Benchers and now in his second and final term as Governor of Sokoto state.”
Recall that in 2011, a consensus arrangement announced by then northern presidential aspirants and coordinated by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), had announced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the consensus in a contest including the stong man of Minna and former Military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), who was then a presidential aspirant in the PDP.
Atiku’s announcement as the consensus was rejected and thus weakened their ranks and eventually led to the emergence of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as president.
Since then, attempts at endorsing a consensus presidential candidate by the north had met a brick wall.
President Muhammadu Buhari, the current holder of the office of president, who won against the permutations of political pundits in 2015, did not do so based on any consensus arrangement, but on what analysts described as “cult followership” especially among the down trodden in the North, who felt then that his leadership of the country will change their plight for the better.
Buhari had struggled on his own to build an alliance with the main Yoruba South-West led by Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu, leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with his Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) into what metamorphosed to All Progressives Congress (APC), that has held power in the country since 2015.
