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PDP Convention: Top 4 Contenders For Presidential Ticket 

The atmosphere at its National Headquarters says it all. The race on who becomes the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party has narrowed down to four, namely: Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal.

An official in the office of the Directorate of Mobilization told THE WHISTLER on Friday morning that this is no ordinary presidential primary but “a strange one. There’s likely a shocker in the locker. Whichever way it goes, the PDP will clinch the presidential election in 2023.”

Beyond the primary kicking off not later than Saturday (tomorrow), there are behind the scene moves for some aspirants to back down and team up with the more powerful and likely winner.

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But who possesses the financial war chest and national appeal to pick the coveted ticket? THE WHISTLER looks at the top four contenders considering their areas of strength and weaknesses.

Each local government is expected to produce three delegates in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022. The 774 LGAs will produce 2322 for the PDP.

ATIKU ABUBAKAR

The former Vice President to Olusegun Obasanjo (1999 -2007) has not been away from the Nigerian political scene since the 4th Republic.

Born 25 November 1946, he’s seen as a formidable opponent to retrieve and return presidential power back to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.

PDP was defeated in 2015 by a coalition that gave birth to the All Progressives Congress.

Atiku was the presidential candidate of the PDP in 2019 and lost to the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari in a keenly contested election.

Strength:

The Adamawa born politician possesses the financial war chest to grab the ticket. In a game played with money and charisma, Atiku will be top on anyone’s list of likely winner.

He defeated Saraki and Tambuwal in 2019 for the PDP ticket and is likely to do same on Sunday.

He has national appeal and is expected to take Adamawa his home state with 91 delegate votes, plus Nasarawa – 58, Zamfara -34, Katsina – 114, Borno -100, Gombe -60, Taraba – 98, Yobe 71, Jigawa – 87 and FCT – 36.

The former Vice President is also likely to profit from huge votes in Plateau, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Anambra, Ogun, Lagos, Osun and Ondo states. .

Atiku appears to be struggling in the South-South, where one of his opponents, Governor Nyesom Wike, is holding sway.

Weaknesses

The agitation for a shift of power to the South, especially to the South East, will be his biggest obstacle.

Also, he is widely seen as a perennial contestant and many within the party may feel his time had passed.. .

NYESOM WIKE

The tough talking governor of Rivers State was born 13 March, 1963, three years after Nigeria gained independence. He is seen as a new breed of politician–pragmatic and fearlessness..

He is seen as the nearest challenger to Atiku. Some political pundits have tipped him as number one for various reasons.

Strength

Wike’s strength lies in his position as the sitting governor  of Rivers State, a very wealthy oil producing state..

The state’s monthly allocation dwarfs the allocation of five South Eastern states combined in a month and is also more than 10 northern states’ allocation in a month.

Such is the wealth in his possession that he has deployed it across states especially where the PDP controls, wining tremendous goodwill in the process. He controls the party’s structure in a dozen states and has been able to install his political associates as candidates of the party in various capacities ahead of the 2023 general election.

Wike is expected to coast home with his state’s delegates of 138 plus Delta -155, Bayelsa -79, Cross River -79, Benue -139, Oyo -181, Enugu -143, Abia -116, and Edo – 54.

 He is expected to profit from Plateau – 84, Anambra – 63, Imo -81 , Ebonyi -36, states where all the aspirants see as battleground to plunder.

Weakness

Wike’s apparent weakness on the lips of everyone is his propensity for making unguarded utterances. He is criticized for being abusive and not one who behaves like a statesman or a governor of a state.

His serial criticism of President Muhammadu Buhari and southern-leaning approach to political issues do not endear him to the North and certainly not the entire south.

His lack of national appeal could cost the party the 2023 presidential election  if he wins the party’s ticket,  many have said.

That sentiment is up in the mind of every delegate, and  no less the PDP leadership.

BUKOLA SARAKI

The former Senate President is among those seen as the young crop of politicians with ideas in the country.Ebullient, charismatic and persuasive; Saraki was born on 19 December, 1962,

Son of late Senate Leader, Olusola Saraki, he was twice governor of Kwara State before going to the senate and outplaying the APC in 2015 to emerge Senate President in 2015.

Strength

Saraki’s strength lies largely in his affectionate disposition. His argument for a better Nigeria has won a lot of hearts.

He crafted a robust manifesto for the primary campaign, which won him many hearts.

He is expected to win his state of Kwara with 48 votes.

He is also expected to do well in Lagos, where one of his loyalists from the Lagos4Lagos Movement group emerged governorship candidate.

 He is also expected to pick up votes in  North Central, South West in addition to Lagos, South-South,North East and North West.

If such votes will be enough is left to be seen.

Weakness

Many reckon he is too assertive and unbendable, but his biggest weakness may be his inability to compete money-for-money with the other three major contenders.

He lost control of the Kwara State Government House in 2019 and couldn’t return to the senate due to defeat at the polls. He was a victim of the Otoge Movement which swept him out of power in a state where he had absolute control for 16 years.

He does not have national political structure and lacks the personnel to garner votes for him.

His inability to match Atiku and Wike in their spending spree will be his Achilles heel in securing the votes of the delegates.

AMINU TAMBUWAL

Born 10 January, 1966, he is described as a cosmopolitan man despite coming from the conservative North.

He was Speaker of the House of Representatives under the PDP government and stood up against the government of President Goodluck Jonathan when he decamped to the APC before 2015.

He won his first term as governor under the APC in 2015 before returning to the PDP for the 2019 election. He was re-elected governor in 2019..

As chairman of the PDP governor’s forum, Tambuwal has a lot of influence.

Strength

He is the youngest of the major contenders, and he’s expected to perform well in the North West while taking Sokoto with 69 delegate votes. 

He is also expected to gather his second largest votes from the North East while also securing some votes in the North Central especially Kogi State where the chairman of his campaign, Tunde Ogbeha comes from.

Weakness

Among the four major contenders, Tambuwal has the lowest national appeal despite being former speaker of the House of Reps.

The agitation for power shift is also not in his favour, just like Atiku and Saraki who’re all northerners.

Besides,he does not have the national political structure and associates to gather votes in crucial states for him.

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abubakar bukola sarakiaminu tambuwalATIKU ABUBAKARbukola sarakiNYESOM EZENWO WIKEnyesom wikePDPPEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY
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