The Peoples Democratic Party PDP is considering the trio of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Governor Aminu Tambuwal as potential flagbearer of the party’s 2023 presidential ticket Daily independent reports.
In October 2018, the trio competed for the party's 2023 presidential ticket during primaries in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Results of the primaries saw Atiku poll 1,532 votes, Tambuwal garnered 693 votes while Saraki trailed came at distant third position with 317 votes.
Even though the 2019 Election Review Committee of the party led by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State had asked the party to throw open the contest for the party’s presidential ticket in 2023 to all qualified aspirants, there are feelers that many of the powerbrokers of the party want the North to produce the candidate.
Commenting on the issue, a former senator and member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), said it will be difficult for a new entrant to join the presidential race given the fact that elections is less than two years away and INEC has already released a timetable for the polls.
He also added that PDP leaders in their quest to give the 2023 election their best shot have decided that they must field “known name whose antecedent and capability is well known”.
He said a new entrant may only join the race if the PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to the South, which is unlikely.
According to him, “The primaries will be held either in June 2022, going by the proposed Electoral Act under consideration by the National Assembly or latest by October, if the existing law is applied. That leaves either 13 months or 17 months for any entrant into the race.
“The time appears too short for a new entrant. The resources and structure necessary for a good race may also not be readily available now for any new candidate.
“More importantly, PDP leaders have decided that they must take a known name whose antecedent and capability is well known.
“The only reason why a new comer may come in is if the party eventually decides to go to the South to shop for candidate. That is if the party eventually zones the ticket to the South. Former Anambra governor, Peter Obi, may come into the race. He is a known name who also featured in the last ticket of the party as running mate.
“Outside these calculations, it is almost impossible for any new entrant to make any serious impact in the presidential race.
“Between Atiku, Tambuwal and Saraki, they already have the potential delegates committed to them. They also have the resources and the key contacts that are supporting them and ready to go on mobilisation efforts.
“What is not clear is if Atiku who came first in the presidential primaries of 2018 will retain that position, if Tambuwal who came second in 2018 will become the flagbearer or if Saraki who came third then will overtake the other two and come first.