Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is said to be suspicious of the motives of the advocates of a consensus presidential candidate in the Peoples Democratic Party, who allegedly failed to update him on the concept after their initial visit to sell the idea to him.
It was gathered that Atiku is opposed to the plan because of what a source described as its ‘trickish nature’.
In the vanguard of the consensus option in PDP are former President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki; Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed; and a former bank chief, Mohammed Hayatudeen.
“Since Saraki, Tambuwal, Bala and Hayatudeen mooted the idea, they have not been carrying Atiku along. The camp of the ex-Vice President is suspicious of these proponents of consensus,” a source familiar with the development said.
“With Atiku out of the consensus politics, all the PDP 17 aspirants would have to slug it out at the primaries.
“Even Saraki, Tambuwal and Bala are not on the same page on consensus. Apart from the fact that they believe they can go it alone individually, there is mistrust in each other.
“Tambuwal is still uncomfortable with Saraki over how he depleted his votes in the last presidential primaries.
“Tambuwal had banked on the support of Saraki until the former Senate President joined the race.
“Of the 17 presidential aspirants in PDP, only four have been very strong on consensus without the buy in of 13 others.
“And it is obvious that Atiku and Governor Nyesom Wike prefer slugging it out at the convention.
“So, as far as PDP is concerned, consensus is dead on arrival,” the source said.
