April 24, (THEWILL) – Former governor of Kwara State and immediate past President of the Senate, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has described the northern elders’ decision to pick him and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) consensus Presidential aspirants in the north as a welcomed development.
THEWILL earlier reported that the Northern Leaders in a communiqué signed by former Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, had on Friday shortlisted former President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki and Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, as two leading presidential aspirants to represent the zone in the PDP presidential primary.
Prof. Abdullahi had said that four PDP presidential aspirants, including Saraki, Mohammed; Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal and the former Managing Director of FSB International Bank, Alhaji Mohammed Hayatudeen, submitted themselves for the drive towards a consensus candidate
The Northern leaders had said their decision on Saraki and Bala Mohammed was arrived at, based on certain criteria adopted in the assessment of the four aspirants who submitted themselves for the exercise.
Abdulllahi on behalf of the Northern leaders, urged Saraki and Bala Mohammed to work together to make allowance for further consultations “to foster understanding among themselves, and the PDP community to ensure a rancour-free primary in which all eligible delegates would be free to exercise their rights.”
However, Governor Tambuwal and another aspirant, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, have since rejected the decision, claiming it was not based on the principle of equity and transparency.
Reacting to the development on Sunday, Saraki in a statement issued on Sunday by his media adviser, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said the process of arriving at the Northern PDP consensus aspirants was pain-staking, thorough and transparent.
Saraki also made it known that he and Bala Mohammed have initiated a process to ensure that one of them emerges as the North Presidential aspirant.
The statement read: “It is a welcomed development. The process that eventually led to this decision cannot be faulted. It was painstaking, thorough and transparent.
“Their decision was based on equity, justice, and the need for inclusion of all. Yes, one consensus candidate has not emerged, but they have initiated a process which can help the party later on.
“The process is a work-in-progress. One person will still emerge from the ongoing process here in the North.
“The South also has an example to emulate in deciding on the aspirants that should proceed to the primaries considering the zones that have not produced a President before like the South East.
“A nation like Nigeria with all the current problems, needs consensus building as a way of healing the nation and enlarging grounds of co-operation, unity and understanding.”
