Sources in the Peoples Democratic Party have disclosed that the recent defection of Aminu Tambuwal and Rabiu Kwankwaso has altered political calculations among some members of the party.
It was learnt that with the two leading politicians’ interest in the presidential ticket of the party, the number of strong contenders for the party’s ticket from the North-West had increased to five.
The North-West, which arguably accounts for the highest number of votes per zone, is Buhari’s traditional political stronghold.
The zone is home to seven states, the highest number in Nigeria’s six geo-political zones structure.
A top ranking member of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said, “Before now, the former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido; his former Kaduna State counterpart, Ahmed Makarfi, and a former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN), were the most visible contestants from the North-West.
“All three lay claim to their fidelity to the cause of the PDP throughout the years as strong selling points.”
This was earlier corroborated by Lamido in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, when he said, “If we (those who remained) had left the PDP like others, would there have been a PDP to return to?”
Until Tambuwal’s recent defection, the PDP had no sitting governor in the entire zone.
However, the arrival of Tambuwal and Kwankwaso in the picture has renewed PDP’s confidence of giving the APC and its candidate a good fight.
Authoritative sources within the PDP told one of our correspondents that Tambuwal had consulted widely on his presidential ambition before his decision to dump the APC, on which platform he was elected governor in 2015.
Some of the sources, who were privy to the workings within and outside the party, said Tambuwal was being considered as a possible candidate because of his age, educational background, cosmopolitan nature and experience.
It was gathered that the former Speaker’s experience in the legislature was also being considered as an added advantage as he was initially to challenge Buhari for the APC ticket in 2014, but had decided to contest the governorship of Sokoto State.
Kwankwaso’s supporters, on the other hand, argue that his popularity in his home state of Kano, which is reputed to have accounted for Buhari’s 1.9 million votes in 2015, and the support he enjoys in other states in the North is “as good as that of the President in the region.”
Kwankwaso, who was second only to Buhari during the 2014 APC presidential primary, is being considered as someone that could pose a threat to Buhari’s re-election bid.
The former Kano State governor has however left the decision about his political future in the hands of the party.
Kwankwaso’s spokesperson, Binta Spikin, said, “I don’t know about that (presidential ambition) because now that he is in the PDP, it is for the party to decide whether it will hold a primary or adopt a candidate.
“I don’t know about that. Until the party speaks, I cannot say anything on that. I can only hope that the party sees the potential in Senator Kwankwaso and give him the ticket.”
Another source in the PDP, who also spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to be seen as taking sides, said, “The candidate that the PDP needs is someone who has the capacity to deflate the support base of President Buhari (especially) in the northern part of the country.
“It should be someone who is seen as representing the entire country and will not treat those who didn’t vote for him with less attention. Both men are believed to be popular in the northern part of the country.”
However, Director of Media and Publicity, Atiku Presidential Campaign, Mr. Segun Sowumi, expressed confidence that the party would see what his principal is to offer and give him the chance to be its presidential candidate.
He said, “Atiku has over the years been convinced that Nigeria can be great and he also believes that so much of the greatness that people believe Nigeria can be rests on the leadership and he has also had the opportunity of being inside and outside government and knows what needs to be done.”
