April 25, (THEWILL) – The 2022 Electoral Act has stipulated three modes for political parties to select their candidates for elections. They are Direct primary, Indirect Primary and Consensus arrangement. The Consensus arrangement, which was used by the ruling All Progressives Congress at its last convention in electing the members of its National Working Committee, came under wide criticism as many of those opposed to it said it was undemocratic.
Surprisingly, prominent Peoples Democratic Party presidential aspirants, including former Senate President. Senator Bukola Saraki; Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State ; the former Managing Director of FSB International Bank, Mohammed Hayatudeen and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, have embarked on the process of achieving a consensus arrangement in picking the presidential candidate of the party.
But despite the enormous energy put into the project, their quest for a consensus candidate for the PDP, ahead of party’s Presidential primaries, is looking more like a fruitless mission.
The proponents of the consensus arrangements, Saraki, Hayatudeen, Tambuwal and Mohammed, have been criss-crossing the length and breadth of the country to sell the idea of consensus to the Presidential aspirants and the PDP Governors but former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Dele Momodu and Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, are opposed to the consensus and are insisting that all aspirants must face the party’s delegates in a primary election which may be indirect.
Just last Friday, the Northern Elders Forum, NEF announced that Saraki and Bala Mohammed are the two consensus candidates for the north.
According to Professor Ango Abdullahi, the Chairman of the Northern Elders Forum who announced the decision in Minna, he said the two – Saraki and Mohammed were chosen after a painstaking assessment.
“It is hereby resolved that Gov. Bala Mohammed from the North East and former Senate President Senator Bukola Saraki from the North Central be presented as the Northern Consensus Candidates for the moment”, Abdullahi said.
He urged the aspirants to work together to make allowance for further consultation to foster understanding among themselves, and the PDP community to ensure a rancor –free primaries in which all eligible candidates would be free to exercise their right.
During a visit to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Saraki said that presidential aspirants under the party are willing and ready to put aside their personal interests and accept the emergence of a consensus candidate.
He said the aspirants had been consulting in the spirit of national interest, to ensure that the PDP emerges victorious in the 2023 general election.
He said, “We’ve had a good discussion with Ikpeazu, as a key stakeholder in our party and a leader of our party.
As you are aware, four of us who are aspirants have been going round consulting with stakeholders to discuss a consensus candidate in the interest of our party and the country.
“And the four of us have agreed to support the consensus arrangement and ensure that we unite to position the PDP for victory in the 2023 general election because Nigerians are going through hardship.
“Insecurity is much. Just a few days ago, some people lost their lives. This is one of the reasons why we’ve decided to unite. The lives of Nigerians are more important than individual ambitions.”
Saraki also said that they were in Abia to seek support from the Governor Ikpeazu and to ensure that PDP wins in the forthcoming election.
“This is the first time that aspirants are coming together. It is a tough challenge and people think it will not work. We assure Nigerians that we’re determined,” he said.
The former Senate President added that he and other aspirants are driven by determination to turn Nigeria around and if accepting consensus is the sacrifice they have to make to achieve that, they are ready.
“We’re motivated to hear leaders like Ikpeazu urging us to go ahead. After here, we’re going to meet the Governor of Enugu State and after that, we must have concluded our visit to18 Governors of the PDP, who all along have shown their commitment to this arrangement”, he stated.
Governor Ikpeazu expressed joy that his hope in the emergence of a new Nigeria was rekindled by the visit.
He described the initiative, led by the presidential aspirants, as quite commendable, altruistic and borne out of their desire to form an alliance that would rescue Nigeria beyond the respective selfish interest of anyone.
He said, “I want to say that you have my commitment and cooperation, as you move on. And I will do my little bit to ensure that all of us come together. I want to encourage all the aspirants, wherever they are coming from, to come together and realise that someone needs to be alive to be selfish.
“Before you become a selfish person, make sure you’re alive, otherwise a dead man can’t be selfish. The survival of our country and the interest of the poor masses should come before personal agenda.
“I’m happy that we have leaders who have decided to put Nigeria first. I’m for it and I will support it and make sure that we present a common front or at least minimize misunderstanding and altercation before and during our primaries.
“Only one person will be president. Let the president who is ready to serve Nigeria emerge, not the one that will serve himself.”
The proponents of the consensus arrangement have also met with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
Speaking after the meeting, Wike said their interest was to ensure the consolidation of unity in the party. He said they were developing a formidable strategy that would enable the PDP coast to victory in the 2023 presidential election. Atiku was, however, absent from the meeting. The pro-consensus presidential aspirants had earlier met with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State on the issue.
During the meeting with Makinde, the governor said the party would work to ensure the success of a consensus candidate arrangement for the PDP.
Also speaking during the meeting, Saraki said, “Of course, we all have the desire to become president, but we have decided in our meeting that we are ready to subject ourselves to a consensus arrangement. It is not just one part of the country, but for the PDP as a party.
At another meeting with Okowa, Saraki also made a case for a consensus candidate, saying that it was for the sake of national unity.
While speaking during a consultative visit to Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Saraki said that some of the PDP Presidential aspirants from the North were ready to welcome a consensus candidate.
Those that purchased the presidential nomination form from the PDP Headquarters in Abuja include Saraki, Bala Mohammed, Dele Momodu, Wike, Anyim Pius Anyim, Nwachukwu Anakwenze, Peter Obi, Udom Emmanuel, Sam Ohuabunwa and Mrs Oliver Tareila Diana.
Atiku, it was gathered, was opposed to the consensus arrangement. He was said to have told those proposing the consensus arrangement that the concept they were pushing for was undemocratic and would not work. He swore never to be part of it.
According to sources, Atiku was said to have counseled that all aspirants should go and face delegates in a primary election.
Also speaking, one of the aspirants, Dele Momodu, said the move for a consensus PDP flagbearer was dead on arrival.
He said, “I see a very dangerous kind of desperation in our career politicians in Nigeria as our country prepares for the 2023 presidential election. It is unfortunate that some of our leaders are toying with the hard fought democracy most of them were never part of.
“At a time our country is at its worst state in decades, career politicians are only interested in hijacking power for themselves and they are totally disinterested in engaging the electorate on how they plan to rescue our country and its long-suffering people from the brink of total collapse.
“The concept of consensus as practiced in Nigeria is anathema to democracy because it is based on everything that democracy is not. It denies merit, enshrines illegality and enthrones mediocrity. Moreover, it embraces corruption, bullying and other unseen ills and threats.
“How are the proponents of consensus different from President Muhammadu Buhari, who has virtually taken over the control of APC as the Alpha and Omega? How will they enforce their consensus on someone like me when I have bought my nomination form and I am ready to contest all the way?
“They should please preserve their energy and let the people make their choices in a free and fair contest. That is the essence of democracy.”
Sam Ohuabunwa, who is also a presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP, questioned the principles that would govern the choice of a consensus presidential candidate being promoted.
He is of the opinion that consensus should not be approximated to an arm-twisting scenario saying, “ Why is the talk of consensus at this time when the clamour for a Nigerian president of South-East extraction has gained critical mass at the national level?
“Someone brought the idea of this consensus to my attention, to buy into it. When 10 people are contesting or vying for a position, you don’t exclude nine to the advantage of one person. Consensus must be a collective decision of all those involved in this game. Period.”
Also speaking on the consensus arrangement, the National Chairman of the National Conscience Party, Dr Yunusa Tanko, described it as a development of “weaklings trying to force somebody that the people do not want on them.” A popular consensus, he noted, comes from regular voting. “People pick the candidate they like through direct or indirect election. And this is the practice in democracy all over the World. Trying consensus muscle people out and creates problems in the future.
“Quite honestly, it is an unknown democratic principle that some set of people are trying to force on Nigerians, but it will boomerang. If you are being defeated at the poll fairly and squarely, you will not have any room to grumble. But if you are being muzzled, you may either want to go to court or create an ungovernable situation. So for me consensus is not the key to our democratic system. Let the popular will of the people prevail and let the popular will of the people triumph. That is how democracy can reign supreme,” he said.
About the Author
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
