Northern stakeholders deny endorsing consensus PDP presidential candidates

Stakeholders in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have denied endorsing any candidate for the 2023 presidential election as the party’s favored candidate.

The stakeholders stated this in a communiqué read by former Jigawa governor, Mr Sule Lamido, at the end of their meeting in Abuja on Monday.

The PDP presidential candidate, according to Lamido, will emerge from the party’s national convention, which will take place on May 28 and 29.

In his words, “We will like to state from the onset that there is nothing called the northern PDP.

“Our coming together as key stakeholders from the northern states is only for the purpose of debunking any notion or impression which might have been created by Prof. Ango Abdullahi’s statement about the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) having shortlisted consensus PDP presidential candidates.

“The PDP as conceived by its founding fathers is and remains the foremost national political platform wherein the democratic aspirations of its teeming members can be actualised devoid of any sectional consideration.

“Our party is neither northern nor southern, but Nigeria.”

Lamido said that the stakeholders were happy that the NEF had through its Secretary; Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed disassociated itself from Ango’s statement.

“They made it clear that it is Ango’s personal opinion.

“The aspirants have informed us that they are discussing among themselves. They are consulting other senior citizens in order to create a better understanding and unity among themselves.

“Their ultimate objective is to build a national consensus that will produce a national candidate for the Party.

“We urge them to keep up with this commendable effort,” he said.

Recall that former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State were alleged to have been shortlisted as the preferred candidates among four aspirants seeking for consensus candidate for the PDP.

The four aspirants were Saraki; Mohammed; Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and the former Managing Director of FSB International Bank, Alhaji Mohammed Hayatudeen.