The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is tinkering with the idea of a consensus presidential candidate in 2023.
To achieve this, the main opposition party in the country is to embark on nationwide consultations among its members. It will also use the consultation visits to reconcile its aggrieved members in order to have a united front and position itself for the task of taking over government in 2023 from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
These, among others, were disclosed at a news conference in Kaduna by the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), Senator Walid Jibril. Jibril, who also disclosed that the PDP BOT had raised a committee to find out why the party lost the recent governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states, added that any member with presidential ambition was free to exercise his right to do so.
But he noted that it would be better for members to agree on a consensus candidate and work hard to make the party strong and unbeatable in 2023. Though he did not say which zone would produce the consensus candidate, he stressed that the BOT believed it was better for the PDP members to agree on a consensus candidate before the general elections.
He said: “On the presidential candidate, the National Working Committee (NWC), in consultation with all relevant organs will reveal the plan soon. I don’t think there is anything wrong if anybody from any zone showed interest, but our collective decision will bring out an agreeable candidate.
“What is right now before us is for us to work hard to unite the party by making it strong and unbeatable in the next presidential election. The BOT is already making necessary arrangements to end the crisis between governor of Rivers State, Nyeson Wike and the governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, and of course, among all party members in order to take over government from the ruling party in 2023.
“The disunity among our PDP governors demands this urgent intervention by the party. The highest advisory body, the BOT, is ready to remain neutral all the time. We have also directed the BOT committee on peace and conflicts to visit Edo, Kano, Lagos, Osun, Bayelsa and other states where acrimonies exist to make peace. I enjoin all members of our great party to stay away from hate speech and avoid abusive language among us and even among non-members. All we need now is consultations and dialogue in solving our problems and not dismissal or suspension. Reconciliations should continue in the units, wards, Local government areas, states and national levels. Another board committee has been directed to start working on why we lost the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.”
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