PDP ponders ‘Plan B’ over options for presidential ticket contestants
*Failed aspirants to get governorship, ministerial, ambassadorial slots
“The aspirants have been made to understand that the agenda is to unseat the APC government. So they have agreed to support whoever emerges at the primaries. But the party in its wisdom is working out a machinery to ensure no one is aggrieved at the end of the day,” he said. He revealed that the party planned to allot ministerial, ambassadorial and other slots as compensation to other aspirants, who would lose at the primaries.
Knowing that aftermath of primaries is always an issue among intra-party contestants, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) may have resolved to consider a list of options it calls ‘Plan B’ to ensure no aspirant for the ticket will be aggrieved if he does not make it.
It was gathered Sunday that the ‘Plan B’ has become imperative following the influx of top politicians and increasing number of its presidential aspirants which now stands at 15.
It will be recalled that some of the newly defected politicians are already being told not to bother about contesting in 2019 as the party has its structure on ground before their arrival.
Bukola Saraki and his nPDP bloc are also facing the same challenge by some of the stay-put members of the PDP who are saying that they cannot be trusted with PDP ticket based on consideration that they played role in how the party was defeated.
Aside Saraki, the choice of presidential candidate for the PDP has become a difficult task for the party with the defection recently of Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso whose return to the party is ostensibly to contest for the single ticket.
However, a media report has it that the party was scheming to ensure serving governors and senators in their first terms, were granted automatic tickets to run for a second term if they lost the presidential primaries.
A foundation member of the party from the North said in the report that some of the presidential aspirants were also likely to be given the governorship tickets of their states to run if they lose the presidential primaries.
“The aspirants have been made to understand that the agenda is to unseat the APC government. So they have agreed to support whoever emerges at the primaries.
“But the party in its wisdom is working out a machinery to ensure no one is aggrieved at the end of the day,” he said.
He revealed that the party planned to allot ministerial, ambassadorial and other slots as compensation to other aspirants, who would lose at the primaries.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan in a statement Saturday, said, “The PDP has taken note of all concerns raised by highly respected and committed leaders of the party, as it concerns accommodation of interests as well as new alignments, and has since taken extensive measures that would ultimately ensure that no person or group is, in anyway, short-changed.
“All members must therefore dispel every fear in relation to control of our structure as well as processes for selection of candidates for election, especially on the choice of our presidential candidate, as such will be handled with the strictest adherence to the principles of internal democracy and zero tolerance for imposition.”
So far, those interested in the party’s presidential ticket are; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State; Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State; former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau; former Minister of Special Duties, Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki; former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and founder of Baze University, Sen. Datti Baba-Ahmed.
Others are former governor of Kaduna State, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi; Senate President Bukola Saraki; former governor of Kano State Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso; former Senate President David Mark; Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State; Chief Alfa Muhammed Oliver and former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke.
