DAYS to the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), there are indications delegates are throwing up vital benchmarks that should play out in the choice of candidate of the party for the 2023 general election.
Some of the issues, according to some delegates include record of performance, competence, capacity, party loyalty in the quest by the opposition party to return to power in the next dispensation.
The other factors include presidential hopefuls’ track record of electoral victories, ability to secure and protect the votes through the electoral value chain and pan-Nigerian pedigree.
Top among the 15 aspirants for the ticket of the PDP are former Vice president Atiku Abubakar; two former presidents of the Senate: Dr Bukola Saraki and Senator Anyim Pius Anyim; former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, Governors of Bauchi, Akwa Ibom and Rivers States: Bala Mohammed; Udom Emmanuel and Nyesom Wike respectively.
Before now, investigations showed that Atiku, Wike and Saraki, were leading in the scramble for the ticket, but sources claimed at the weekend that the intense horse-trading by the camp of Bala Mohammed had made major inroads into the geopolitical zones.
It was said that a number of delegates had been swayed by his enviable performance during his visits to the states where he engaged the prospective delegates in candid discussions over the state of the country.
“For the delegates, top on the list of considerations are verifiable performance, loyalty to party, track record of electoral victories, ability to secure and protect the votes through the electoral value chain and pan-Nigerian pedigree; indexes on which Bala Mohammed has scored higher than other aspirants,” the source said.
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“Delegates and party leaders see the exit of some of the aspirants from the PDP in 2013, formation of breakaway n-PDP and coalescing into APC with other parties, as the main cause of the defeat of the PDP in 2015. To many party insiders, choosing any of them would mean endorsing disloyalty and even betrayal.
“While they enjoyed with the APC that threw the country into its present miserable state, it took the physical and moral presence, financial support and organizational acumen of ardent party loyalists such as Bala Mohammed, Nyesom Wike and Anyim Pius Anyim, to keep the party going. Otherwise, the party would have gone under.
“Based on the above, delegates do not consider some of those people are skeptical about their plan. They are also reluctant to suffer the same fate in the unlikely event that the party does not win, in 2023.
To them, Bala Mohammed who, despite his ordeal through contrived investigation by anti-graft agencies, stood behind them through thick and thin, is said to have endeared himself to the party faithful. Investigations reveal that leaders of the party in some northern states controlled by the APC, notably Niger, Benue, Gombe, Yobe, Borno, Nasarawa are unequivocally committed to Bala Mohammed.”
On the issue of performance, the delegates opined that that the achievements of the Bauchi governor resonated with a lot of Nigerians at the state and federal level when he was the minister for the Federal capital Territory (FCTY).
“Apart from Peter Obi whose performance record is restricted to Anambra State, Bala Mohammed’s stellar record of service as FCT minister and his giant strides in Bauchi, particularly in the areas of infrastructure and people empowerment, has resonated well with party delegates and leaders who want to see a quick turn around in the economic fortunes of the country and the welfare of Nigerians generally.
“Delegates recall the innovative Land Swap policy of the FCT Administration of Senator Bala Mohammed which though, was initially faulted by the Buhari Administration has since been endorsed by the same administration, to the extent of confessing that through it, the FCT Administration had saved over N1 trillion.
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