2023: Tambuwal Rejects Saraki, Bala Mohammed As PDP Consensus Candidates

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal has kicked against the agreement that shortlisted a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed as northern consensus candidates for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary.

Northern PDP Consensus Candidates

KanyiDaily had reported that four aspirants from northern Nigeria presented themselves for the consensus including Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Governor Bala Mohammed, Dr Bukola Saraki, and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.

On Friday, April 22, the Northern Elders of the PDP shortlisted Mohammed and Saraki as the consensus candidates of the party after a meeting in Minna, Niger State.

However, a statement by the Tambuwal Campaign Organization (TCO) on Friday rejected the outcome of the exercise, saying that was not the agreement reached at a previous meeting involving the four aspirants.

The statement by Director of Tambuwal Campaign Organisation (TCO), Nicholas Msheliza, said the four aspirants had unanimously agreed that the consensus arrangement was not working.

But following the emergence of Saraki and Mohammed as the consensus candidates, Tambuwal vowed that he would ‘indeed’ contest the PDP presidential primaries having submitted his nomination form.

The statement read: “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 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 the 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.”

Meanwhile, Former Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima has insisted that the North will support the presidential ambition of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu.