The shape of what the presidential contest for the forthcoming general election would look like is beginning to unfold as the Saturday Telegraph during the week gathered that top gladiators in the major political parties are scheming to tighten their hold on their parties.
Our correspondent during the week was able to sample opinions of some leaders of the various parties with regard to the various undercurrents shaping their march towards a series of activities that would eventually terminate at their various elective conventions.
Parties sampled during the week include the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the new coalition platform, African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Others sampled are the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The PDP had in its last meeting of the National Executive Committee slated its elective national convention for between November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, just as it had also maintained that all the current zoning formula of the party and elective offices be retained.
That has effectively ensured that the presidential ticket is zoned to the Southern part of the country, while the North would still retain the national chairmanship of the party till 2031.
PDP has, however, constituted a zoning committee headed by Bayelsa State Governor, Hon. Duoye Diri, to further microzone the various positions within and outside the party ahead of the scheduled convention.
Sources within the party told our correspondent exclusively that the decision to stage the convention in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, might not be unconnected with the need for Governor Seyi Makinde to firm up his hold on the party by ensuring that only those members who would be sympathetic to his presidential ambition would emerge to lead PDP at the end of the day.
“You don’t need to be told that Governor Makinde is interested in the presidential ticket, and that is why he has been able to make sure that the convention is brought to his domain,” a source within the party who begged not to be named said.
Apart from Governor Makinde, other presidential hopefuls being touted in the PDP ticket include former President Goodluck Jonathan as well as the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi.
While Obi, who is torn between membership of the ADC and the LP, is yet to be categorical on which platform he will use to actualise his aspiration is being wooed to stage a return; former President Jonathan, too, is being pressured to throw his hat into the ring.
Sources within the party, however, maintained that “For now, all the odds are in favour of Governor Makinde to pick the ticket ahead of others, except he decides to step down for another candidate after the election.”
When contacted in a telephone chat, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, stated that “It is too early to talk about who gets the Presidential ticket now, when we get there, we will decide that. What we are busy walking towards is the national convention.”
On its part, the APC elected Professor Nentawe Yilwatda at the 14th National Executive Committee in July to lead the party after the exit of the former occupant, Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who resigned on health grounds.
The meeting, which had in attendance President Bola Tinubu and took place at the Presidential Villa, was to further underscore the need for the Presidency to have a stronghold on the levers of the party to enable the second-term bid of President Tinubu.
Before that, the President had been endorsed for a second term in office by some stakeholders in May at a meeting in Abuja, with a series of such endorsements later carried out in states as well as zones across the country.
However, the National Organising Secretary of the party, Alhaji Sumaila Argungu, during the week clarified that other interested members can contest the primaries with the President.
“We are in a democracy, and you can’t step down on other people’s desire to contest for any office if they are qualified. If they feel they have a chance or they just want to do it, why not? The party will abide by the Electoral Act, and that is what the national organising secretary told you.
“This action is in fulfilment of the Electoral Act, and nothing more is intended.” The Act is clear: you can’t shut out people. The re-election of the president will be based on his ability and performance in office,” he said.
Efforts to get the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Felix Morka, proved abortive as his phone was switched off.
The ADC on July 2 this year appointed former Senate President, Senator David Mark, as the interim national chairman with former Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as the interim national secretary.
However, the party is yet to formally state when it would hold its convention to pick new leaders of the party, but sources within the party stated that those who might eventually emerge would be sympathetic to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Senator Mark is said to be very close to Abubakar and that he (Mark) would ensure his return and eventually work for the former vice president to pick the ticket of party ticket.
Former Minister of Defence, Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is said to be the unchallenged Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) who can pick the ticket of the party come 2027.
Recently, he had pledged not to abandon the party for another platform, but is ready for alliance talks with any other party or parties ahead of the poll.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja at the 9th National Executive Committee, NEC meeting of NNPP, Kwankwaso said: “Many people thought today, we will announce whether I will stay in NNPP or go to another party or join some individuals and so on. I think that was not the intention of the meeting.
“You have seen the agenda. But let me take this opportunity to tell you that we have our party and we are comfortable. We are happy. We are ready to do whatever it takes, because we are not in a hurry. Radio Congo is not in a hurry.
“The members, the leadership, and all of us are not in a hurry. We believe that we have something to offer at the end of the day at the highest leadership level in this country. But we want to do it the way it should be done.
“We are flexible. We are ready to talk to anybody. As far as we are concerned, we are doing our business. We will try and be fair. We will continue to be and ensure that there is fairness for everybody.
“And that is why I believe in identity membership. More and more people are coming. If there is anything, if there is any negotiation, it will be collective.”
Mr. Obi, on his part, is said to be unsure on which party he would be seeking the Presidency again, but the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Mr. Obiora Ifoh, said the party would throw the party’s presidential ticket open to all comers.
“We won’t hold any National Convention until 2028 because we did one last in April, and we will not do another one until 2028 when the new one is due to take place, but as for the presidential candidate of the party, we will throw the contest open to all,” Ifoh stated.
