Consensus talk: Saraki, others consult PDP governors
By Tunde Opalana
…To bring in Atiku, Anyim others
Presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) currently engaging in consensus talk have started meeting with PDP governors to intimate them on the noble idea of reducing contest for the party’s ticket.
There is also plans to extend invitation to more aspirants to be involved in the talk.
The three aspirants, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed and his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal on Monday met with Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom in Markudi in the morning and later met with the Tsraba State governor, Darius Ishaku at the Taraba State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.
On behalf of the aspirants, Saraki told the Taraba governor reasons for finding solutions to acrimony caused by such contest for tickets.
He said “we met a couple of days ago to forge a consensus as a way to bring unity to our party because we see that PDP is the only alternative left for Nigerians and to say that we are committed more to Nigerians than to ourselves.
“Yes, we all have our individual ambitions, we all are eminently qualified to lead this country but we all cannot lead the country at the same time. What is important now is to provide leadership and unity, lets close ranks because if we all go to the primary, you know the problems that it will create and we agreed to work together and come up with a candidate.
“The main thing now is for PDP to come back and provide leadership for this country and provide direction for the millions of Nigerians who are going through a lot.
“We will rescue them, take over the country and rebuild it and we have made ourselves committed to this project and with Gods guidance, we will come up with one person and when we do that, we would like your support.
“Why we are coming early is because we want to ensure that you are part of this process. It is not being the president that matters, it is a team work that we want to bring to this country, to take a change from what leadership used to be, one person.
“The leadership we want to provide in 2023 is a leadership of unity where we will all play a role because it is clear that the problem of Nigeria is not what one person can do and that starts now in the emergence of that candidate”.
Saraki also clarified the notion that the parley was meant to find a consensus candidate among northern aspirants to the exclusion of others from the southern part of the country.
The former governor of Kwara State said “part of our plan is to meet with other aspirants, we intend to meet with the Waziri Adamawa later today, we have made plans to meet with the governor of Benue and we will also meet with other governors, the governors from the south early next week and some of the elders in the country”.
Responding, Gov. Ishaku appreciated the presidential aspirants for their efforts at finding a consensus candidate for PDP.
He said “PDP is known for being a family. We have shown Nigerians how to rule and manage thier affairs and I think we should still be the leaders. I very happy with this visit.
“You have my 100% support. I am sure my colleagues too will give you the same support and any right thinking person should be able to support this mission”.
Saying that consensus will help the party, he said “we only have to produce one person. Let walk together, hold our hands together and agree that this person should be our leader and then will all fall in line.
“Then savage this country, bring it back to what it is. Nigeria is one of the most beautiful countries God has given this country but we need to make it more beautiful.
“We need to salvage our people, we need to reduce the pains in our people, particularly security. People can travel midnight from here to Lagos and MaIduguri before, but now even in the afternoon you cannot travel.
“That is so bad. We need to put our hands together and work for Nigeria by bringing first unity among ourselves and then we now get the whole country united in one accord”.
