2019: ‘What PDP offered Saraki, Dogara, Tambuwal, Ortom, others’

…To provide level playing ground for defectors to vie for party’s presidential ticket
…Reserves specific positions for them should they fail to get tickets
A leading member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has revealed to The Daily Times the offers his party has made to Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal.

Other top government functionaries and party stalwarts nationwide that were made offers to by the PDP include Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso and former Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau.

The party also promised to ensure that former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswll Akpabio, emerges as Senate Majority Leader as the party beileves it would emerge as majority party in the Senate and House of Representatives after the 2019 general elections

According to the reliable PDP source, who is part of the negotiating team for the merger and political reallignments aimed at expanding the party’s area of control, everything legally possible under the sun is being done to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, All Progressives Congress (APC), are defeated in the 2019 elections.

He stated that every member of the party who is qualified to run for the office of the president would be allowed to contest the party’s ticket with level playing ground, adding however that Saraki, Dogara, Tambuwal and others have specific positions reserved for them if they try and failed to win the PDP presidential ticket.

The source said that Saraki has been assured of retaining his current position as Senate President, Tambuwal to keep his job as Sokoto State Governor, same with Ortom of Benue State who was assured of massive support in whatever form to ensure he retruns as governor under the PDP.

For Kwakwanso, who has been having running battle with Kano State Governor Umar Ganduge, the PDP offered him a return to the Senate. He is also to share Kano State PDP structure with Shekarau.

The PDP, according to the source, made it clear that it would abide faithfully with the terms and conditions it gave to any of the politicains in order to persuade them to join hands and defeat Buhari in the 2019 presidential election, saying that unlike the APC, his party, the PDP, always abides by negotiations and agreements.

The source who spoke in confidence, said, “The PDP already has many eminent members and aspirants well qualified to govern Nigeria. All of them with such aspirations will be free to contest for the party ticket in a free and transparent process.

“We have former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Saraki is welcome if he has such aspiration, Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo has shown interest, same with Governor Tambuwal, former governors Kwakwanso and Sule Lamido.

We believe others will come up and declare interest. The doors and rooms are very open for them to try their luck.

“But the PDP has reserved some positions for those alredy occupying important positions. They are allowed to try their hands on the party’s presidential ticket and if they fail to get it, their positions are intact for them.

Saraki is assured of his position as Senate President. Dogara will be returned as Speaker of the House but if the President comes from his zone, he will be considered for another position.

The coast is clear in PDP for Tambuwal for his governorship seat if he did’nt get presidential ticket. Ortom will receive massive support to return as governor of Benue State,” he said, adding that former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, will become Senate Majority leader.

On what to give to South East and South-South, the PDP leader said: “Our party, the PDP has many eminent members from the South East who are being considered for the position of Vice President and others.

Like I said, Akpabio is ripe to be Senate Majority Leader because in a few weeks from now PDP will become majority in both houses.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu , Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela, Ben Obi, Peter Obi and others are on the card for the office of the Vice President.

There are many more on the table for everyone,”he assured and cautioned Saraki and others not to gamble their fate with the APC.

He said, “APC is a basket full of termites. Most of its leaders are despots and dictators with unforgiven spirits. They are desperate now because they are about to sink so they will make whatever promise and accept all conditions.

But, they are only waiting for Saraki and others to make mistake so they will bring them to shame. On the other hand, PDP is a party of gentlemen and women. We are bound by our promises and our words.

Therefore it would be deliberate suicide for anybody to trust APC especially in view of what transpired after the 2015 elections and emergence of National Assembly leaders.”