LEON USIGBE writes on the consensus controversy among northern PDP presidential aspirants and how the region still retains the edge over the South.
Events of the past few weeks in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seem to suggest that the North is about to give vent to the fabled expression that they are masters of Nigeria’s politics. It is the only region up till now that strives for a common front to produce a consensus candidate from amongst the individuals from the area in the race for the presidential ticket of the main opposition party.
Many politicians feel irritated by the presence, in the race of the governor of Sokoto state, Aminu Tambuwal; the governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and former bank managing director, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen. But they know that it is within their rights to seek to be the next president of the country, not minding the non-binding rotation policy of the party. Therefore, the presidential hopefuls make no pretences about their northern origin and the imperative of one of them grabbing the 2023 presidential ticket of the former ruling party.
All four have traversed the length and breadth of the country, seeking support for their collective and individual ambitions and for one of them to emerge as the presidential candidate, at times, to the open consternation of stakeholders from other parts of the country who sense a lack of equity, justice and fairness in the attempt to retain power in the north.
Having been unable to convince themselves to step down for one another and to be sure to realise the objective of a northern consensus candidate, Tambuwal, Saraki, Mohammed and Hayatu-Deen had conscripted former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, to design a pathway for the desired retention of northern presidency with four of them as the pivot. Even though all four had agreed to subject themselves to any conclusion reached by the IBB-brokered effort, it broke down with the announcement of the short-listing of governor Mohammed and Saraki as the preferred northern consensus candidates.
There were no clear criteria for arriving at the choice of the duo. But the former vice chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Professor Ango Abdulahi, who announced the decision that seemed to have the imprimatur of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) where he is the convener, did say that the committee resolved to pick the leading aspirant from the north central and the one from the northeast, and that those picked “would in turn be required to make further concessions so that in the end, one of them would be presented as the consensus candidate.” The outcome was perceived as an insidious gas lighting not just by Tambuwal and Hayatu-Deen that were apparently schemed out, but also the wider northern PDP stakeholders coordinated by former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido.
Tambuwal maintained that the position announced by Professor Abdulahi was incorrect. He gave his version of events through a statement by the director of organisation and mobilisation of his campaign, Nicholas Msheliza: “The attention of Tambuwal Campaign Organisation (TCO) has been drawn to a news item that Saraki and Governor 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 Senator 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 Senator Saraki via a WhatsApp message.
“However, on Thursday, 21st, 2022, same Senator Saraki circulated yet another WhatsApp message suggesting that members of the team should head to Minna for a meeting on Friday, Governor 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 Governor 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 Governor 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, Governor 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.”
Also, Hayatu-Deen affirmed a day after the announcement that the move for consensus had indeed collapsed as the aspirants could not reach an agreement, noting: “The announcement we witnessed yesterday was not based on the principles of equity and transparency, which we believe should lead the country and the party into the future. The committee constituted by Professor Ango Abdullahi is completely faceless and the evaluation criteria are totally subjective. It seems to us that this entire charade was designed to achieve a preconceived outcome.”
However, the two beneficiaries of the IBB initiative, Mohammed and Saraki, unsurprisingly defended the outcome with the Bauchi governor confirming that all four signed up to the arrangement. He said: “The above four named individuals not only initiated the consensus arrangement on their own volition but also agreed to fully and unequivocally abide by the decision that Gen Babangida will arrive at in consultation with other elders as well as accept, honour the steps and procedures he will deploy in arriving at any decision.
“We, therefore, reject the current insinuations in the media from some quarters that purport that Gen. Babangida and the elders either did not consult very widely or imposed a decision on an unwilling band of presidential aspirants. General Babangida and elders deserve nothing but commendation for the conclusions they reached and the outcome of the consensus exercise by anybody who believes in the tenets of truth, honour and integrity. Political ambition should not and cannot be a condition precedent to cast overboard these time-honoured verities and inviolable norms and ask those who are desecrating these values to have a sober rethink.” “The Campaign Organisation, however, advises all those who are not happy with the result of the selection process or who did not participate in it to focus on their individual political trajectories without let or hindrance and not muddy the political waters any further,” Governor Mohammed stated through his campaign organisation.
In the same way, Saraki hailed the process that selected him and Mohammed as the northern PDP consensus candidates as a welcome development. Speaking through his media aide, Yusuf Olaniyonu, he maintained that the decision was based on equity, justice and the need for inclusion. “It is a welcome development. The process that eventually led to this decision cannot be faulted. It was pain-staking, thorough and transparent. One needs to commend and appreciate the elders who worked to actualise the process. Their decision was based on equity, justice, and the need for inclusion of all. Yes, one consensus candidate has not emerged but they have initiated a process which can help the party later on. The process is a work-in-progress. One person will still emerge from the on-going process here in the North. The South also has an example to emulate in deciding on the aspirants that should proceed to the primaries considering the zones that have not produced a president before like the South East. A nation like Nigeria with all the current problems needs consensus building as a way of healing the nation and enlarging grounds of co-operation, unity and understanding,” Saraki stated.
However, Lamido was keen to narrow the IBB consensus initiative to a few northerners rather than be viewed as the general position of the wider northern PDP stakeholders. “We are happy to note that the Northern Elders Forum has through its secretary, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, disassociated itself from Professor Ango’s media statement. They made it clear that it is Ango’s personal opinion. The aspirants have informed us that they are discussing among themselves. They are consulting other senior citizens in order to create a better understanding and unity among themselves. Their ultimate objective is to build a national consensus that will produce a national candidate for the party. We urge them to keep up with this commendable effort,” the former Jigawa State governor said.
Despite the open disagreement among the northerners, observers agree that their valiant effort to hold on to power is still unmatched by the South where no concerted move has yet been detected to rally support for one of their own. Aspirants of southern origin are mainly thought to be operating independently in seeking the support of stakeholders and party members, especially delegates, with little recourse to the idea of a regional consensus even though they prefer a party consensus arrangement that they say must be based on equity, justice and fairness.
Rather, pundits observe that beyond deriding the northern consensus attempt, many are engaged in unbridled vilification of each other that may prove costly to themselves as it may provide valuable ammunition to opposing political parties during the main campaign if any of them were to secure the ticket of the party.
Political watchers are of the opinion that this is contrary to the measured, well-considered and respectful utterances of northern aspirants when addressing issues that concern individuals from the region. It is seen as indicative of the usual sagacity that gives the political edge to the North.
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