Politics
BREAKING: PDP Offers South-West VP Slot
The on-going “battles” between some politicians from the South-East for the vice presidential slot of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in next year’s presidential election may have hit the rock as party leadership wants the South-West zone to produce the occupant.
Already, PDP has zoned the presidential slot to the North, while lobbyists from the South-East working on the zoning arrangement in the party went to work seeking to grab the running mate slot.
But their dreams are going awry as impeccable sources at the Wadata Plaza headquarters of the PDP informed The Authority that the current thinking in the National Working Committee (NWC) and other members and affiliates at the apex of the party management are no longer in that direction.
It was learnt that the PDP leadership is under pressure, especially from its patrons, especially retired military brass and former national leaders, to source its presidential running mate from the South-West or the South-South.
The rationale for this move, sources said, is because the South-East is no longer being regarded as a beautiful bride by the PDP.
We gathered that voters from the zone, by virtue of their widespread aversion to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), really have no other option than to vote for the PDP, especially as the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), which would have been a ready alternative for them, is not likely to field a presidential candidate and is billed to support the incumbent president, who would be the candidate of the APC.
Also, the arithmetic of vote count towards winning the forthcoming presidential election does not favour a candidate from the South-East. Even as a vice presidential candidate, it has the least number of registered voters compared with other geopolitical zones.
For example, of the total 73,944,312 registered voters in Nigeria as of January 2018, the North-West geo-political zone has the highest number of 18,505,984 voters, while the South-East trails with 8,293,093 registered voters.
The South-West comes second with 14,626,800 registered voters; South-South is close with 11,101,093 registered voters. North-Central has 10,586,965 registered voters, while the North-East zone has 9,929,015 voters.
“In the crunch to win the elections, PDP is looking at where it can get the votes to enable it fare well.
“It is no longer a secret that up to four or more high-heeled politicians from the South-East have been knocking on every door across the country, lobbying to be picked as the running mate to any Northern candidate that would emerge as the PDP presidential flag-bearer,” a competent source told our reporters.
The Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu;former governor of Anambra StatePeter Obi, as well as the former Adviser on Inter-Party Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan,Chief Ben Ndi-Obi, have before now been positioning themselves for the running mate slot and are known to have been making high level contact though individuals and groups all over the country, to project their wishes to be picked.
Outside these three, there are also former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. ChukwumaSoludo, who was rumoured last week to have attempted to drag AlhajiAtikuAbubakar to APGA, where he is a prominent stakeholder, and to contest from there, a story that has been stridently denied by the Atiku camp and APGA.
However, according to The Authority newspaper, if Atiku is not picked as the PDP flagbearer, Soludo and like-minded people in Igboland will work for his adoption by APGA.
Another group of stakeholders are rooting for the President-General of the OhanaezeNdigbo,Chief NniaNwodo, as he is also being tipped and would mount serious campaign for Atiku to consider him as his running mate, if he picks the APGA ticket.
The PDP, ORIENTAL TIMES learnt, believes that making further investments like a presidential running mate in the South-East would be an overkill, as it is the other zones where it regards as the “battle zones” that require such an attention.
“With or without a running mate, the South-East is a PDP wet ground any day”, our correspondent was told by top level sources in the PDP.
Presidential aspirants under the PDP platform include Atiku, former Governor of Kano State and serving Senator, RabiuMusa Kwankwaso; former Governor of Jigawa State and former Foreign Affairs Minister, SuleLamido; former Governor of Kano State and one-time Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shakarau, and former Governor of Kaduna State and erstwhile chairman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi.
Others are the former Governor of Sokoto State, AttahiruBafarawa;incumbent Governor ofGombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo; former Governor of Plateau State and serving Senator, David Jang; former Minister of Special Duties, TanimuTuraki, and a former member of the House of Representatives, AlhajiDatti Baba-Ahmed.
The late entrants are the incumbent Governor of Sokoto State and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, AminuTambuwal, and the Senate President, AbubakarBukolaSaraki. Saraki formally joined the race last Thursday.
Of the above, PDP sources said the only one who would be under pressure to pick a vice presidential candidate from the South-East is Senator Saraki.
But this option is being shot down by the challenge that none of the governors of the South-East extraction would be willing to contribute generously to such campaign as they have been lukewarm in funding party activities in the last three and half years.
A source said this leaves the South-South as the beautiful bride, as their governors have the resources and are willing to fund the party’s activities.
Efforts made to contact the highest ranking member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC), from the South East, Col. Austin Akobundu (rtd), for comment proved abortive as his lines could not be reached.
However, one of his aides told journalists that “the current permutations have shifted attention of political gladiators from the South-East to ferociously tackle one another to grab the Governorship, Senate and House of Representatives tickets.
“I can assure you that the refusal of our people to register as voters is not helping matters. Our people are politically naïve and this is our greatest undoing despite the fact that we believe that Ndigbo are numerically stronger than any other race in this country, given the fact that all over the country, they are next in number to the indigenous people, but we are politically ignorant, believing that political office comes as a matter of logic or rational thinking,” the aide stressed.
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 3:32 pm
Still better than the present government that gave nothing to the Igbos’
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 2:18 pm
The don’t pass that level joo
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 2:14 pm
PDP can never discover new idea always uncover are they not following the footsteps of APC now, we have uncover APC plots can they come up with new idea? no way
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 2:10 pm
Try it and loose totally to APC! Give the VP to Igbos and senate president to the Yorubas…
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 1:37 pm
Pls. give to me
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 1:01 pm
Good move am an Igbo man I don’t have problems with that so long we get Senate president and the country is restructured. I will be around in December for the election by willing.
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:55 pm
VP should go to South East geopolitical zone
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 2:51 pm
No, we don’t need it
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:51 pm
Ok
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:43 pm
Good political calculation
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:42 pm
Igbo how market
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 1:32 pm
We don’t need even presidency, we need referendum.
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:40 pm
Despite ipob campaigns for PDP lol
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 1:06 pm
Biafra never campaign for PDP although I love PDP as an igbo man but apc a yoruba party i hate so much
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 1:33 pm
Referendum is all we need.
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:29 pm
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:24 pm
Upon all the noise, what is in there for our people, PDP is rubbish, they have deceived our people for long, it will not work for them this time, APC is the way for Ndigbo
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:37 pm
what has apc done for ndi Igbo?
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:46 pm
Eze Joseph Chris what has PDP done for ndi igbo for 16 years
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:53 pm
Muhammad Muhammad , Pdp had deceived our people for ages, with one of the main scammer who call himself Ebele Jonathan promising us second Niger bridge on national dallies and media organizations, but the bridge is @40%completion under APC government, Enugu onicha Express had been awarded since 1999 but is under APC that contractor was mobilized to the site and our people can attest to you that is unprecedented, Enugu portharcour road is and milestones of APC led government in the southeast etc, Eze Joseph is a better alternative to our people than inglorious PDP .
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:58 pm
Igbos are not aiming vp slot, they are more interested in unseating the wicked souls in Abuja, even if presents house President and Vp, we in the south and east will support anything outside Buhari.
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 1:05 pm
Lukeson Oguchi Luke , in politics, it is better to do the possible because there is no second position In election result, whether you like it or not, it through the platform of APC that Ndigbo will realise the long ambition of becoming the president, PDP are scammers who are only interested in their pocket, you can remember one Ebele Jonathan that use to talk of Niger bridge everyday he came visiting our zone as president, South east vote combined is not up to that of kano, you see the reason we should be @the main stream,don’t allow motor park analyst to confuse you and the political future of our people.
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:18 pm
Most of us in this country have always fantasized on creating an Empire with little money. This dream will never come to pass with the present state of our economy, most of the businesses around are saturated resulting in a highly competitive market . There’s no better investment than putting your cash in a financial company that deals in various high end investments. Why not give Mcdave funds & Investment Services a try, you definitely gain from it. spread the info
You can learn more at m c d a v e f u n d s . c o m
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:13 pm
PDP is wise, they know igbos love PDP so much so no need to wooo them with anything but apc we hate so much even though apc bring an igbo as the president nd igbo as vp nd igbo as senate we igbos can never vote for a yoruba party
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 3:27 pm
You are on your own(OYO) Igbos don’t hate APC. Speak for your self alone. APGA is Igbo party and not PDP.
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:03 pm
Bet nija
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 11:55 am
That’s better then
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 11:54 am
We’re not interested in the presidency yet, I’m ready to support anyone apart from buhari.
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 11:50 am
Igbos need Good road, seaport, airport, 2nd Niger bridge, then come and see development, we don’t need VP slot
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 11:33 am
We Igbo’s Ganna continue to punish our politicians until they realized that we Igbo youths has made up our mind to be in our own state called Biafra. They more they are sending PYTHON DANCE TO US, THE MONEY THEY ARE SCARING US AWAY FROM ZOO POLITICAL GAMES
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 11:29 am
We Igbo’s don’t need president or vice President
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 11:04 am
What’s the difference…
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 10:53 am
BIAFRANS DOES NOT NEED PRESIDENT OR VP SLOT, ALL WE NEED IS FREEDOM
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 10:31 am
Igbo Is Gone In Nigeria Politics Cos Of Ipob Agitation
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 11:57 am
Shut up.Must you call igbo in everything.Without politic igbos have been doing well
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 12:02 pm
Don’t mind the fool with out politics Igbos are doing well all over the world
Anonymous
September 3, 2018 at 10:18 am
Bauchi state 2019