A presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has faulted the process that produced Nigeria’s former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, as northern consensus candidates.
Mr Hayatu-Deen’s campaign office, in a statement on Saturday, said the process that led to the adoption of the duo lacked “principles of equity and transparency.”
Messrs Saraki and Mohammed were shortlisted on Friday by the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), following the recommendations of a committee set up by the forum.
The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, had earlier dismissed the report on consensus agreement as false.
He said they had unanimously agreed that the consensus arrangement was not working, a position Mr Hayatu-Deen has further reiterated.
“For the record, we would like to state that the process of arriving at a consensus candidate te had collapsed. The candidates involved could not reach a compromise amongst themselves, resulting in the decision of our principal, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, and Governor Aminu Tambuwal to discontinue the process.
“The announcement we witnessed yesterday (Friday) 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 Prof. Ango Abdullahi is completely faceless and the evaluation criteria is totally subjective.
“It seems to us that this entire charade was designed to achieve a preconceived outcome,” Mr Hayatu-Deen said in the statement signed by his campaign DG, Lamis Dikko.
The DG said his principal has decided to pursue his presidential independently.
He also expressed his principal’s desire to proceed in his steps to achieve a truly democratic process and election victory for the PDP in the coming elections.
Altogether, there are 17 aspirants jostling for the PDP presidential ticket ahead of its primary election scheduled for next month.
The aspirants from both the north and the south include Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, a former Anambra governor, P 17 aspirants are jostling, Pius Anyim, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, former Ekiti governor, Ayo Fayose, renowned pharmacist, Sam Ohuabunwa, and Ovation Magazine publisher, Dele Momodu.
Although, the PDP has fixed May 28 and 29 to elect its presidential candidate, the party has yet to zone the position to any section of the country.
The party has also not taken a position on the mode of primaries to adopt in electing its candidate for the February 2023 presidential election.
Credit: Premium Times