Sokoto State Governor, Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, has begun consultations with
some notable political leaders over his presidential aspiration on the
platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
THISDAY gathered
that the consultations started last Thursday when he met former Senate
President, Senator David Mark, during which he discussed his ambition
with him.
Tambuwal was to continue the consultation on Saturday
with visits to a former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, and a former
Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma (rtd).
The governor had met behind closed doors with Obasanjo for about an hour in his Presidential Library Pent House in Abeokuta.
A
statement by Obasanjo’s Special Assistant on Media, Mr. Kehinde
Akinyemi, had quoted the governor as saying he visited the former
president to consult with him on issues concerning governance and
others.
“You know Baba is our leader, statesman. And it is always
good for us to come around to see how he is doing, pay homage and
consult him on many issues of governance. That is why we have come this
afternoon. And, we brought him the greetings and felicitations of the
good people of Sokoto State,” the statement had quoted the governor, who
was a leading contender for the presidential ticket of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election season, as saying.
However,
THISDAY learnt yesterday that the main reason for the visit, which the
former president’s aide described as unscheduled, was for Tambuwal to
feel Obasanjo’s pulse on his presidential bid.
Sources told
THISDAY that after the meeting with Obasanjo, Tambuwal headed for Lagos
where he held talks with Danjuma in his residence.
He was said to have briefed the former minister on his decision to vie for the presidency in 2023.
The meeting was said to have lasted for over two hours before the governor departed for Sokoto.
Investigation
also revealed that as part of the series of consultations, Tambuwal had
on Thursday met with Mark in his Abuja residence.
However, PDP
National Working Committee (NWC) has not officially announced the
party’s zoning arrangement for 2023 presidential ticket, as THISDAY
gathered that the main opposition party is said to be waiting for the
ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to make a decision before
announcing from which zone its candidate would come from.
When
THISDAY contacted PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola
Ologbondiyan, for his comment on Tambuwal’s consultations, he said
zoning was not yet on the agenda of PDP.
According to him, the
party is concentrating on the governorship elections in Edo, Ondo and
other by-elections slated for September and October, 2020.
But
another party source, who spoke on Tambuwal’s consultations, told
THISDAY: “In PDP, the manner of zoning is not clear, but the governor of
Sokoto State, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, stands out clearly.
“He
is the youngest in the race with a loaded credentials both in the
executive and legislature arms of government. Moreover, he is a lawyer.
That is the judicial arm.”
According to him, Tambuwal has solid credentials that makes him fit for the job.
The
governor was Speaker of the House of Representatives for four years and
is about to complete his two-term tenure of eight years as governor of
Sokoto State, he said, adding that he is currently the deputy chairman
of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and also the chairman of PDP
Governors’ Forum.
The source explained that Tambuwal also enjoys the support of PDP governors, who form a critical power bloc in the party.
“Take
it or leave it, political pundits say that he is the aspirant to beat.
He carries PDP governors along with him and the South-east is merely
jostling for the vice presidential position,” the source said.
The
source, however, added that from the body language of a former vice
president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, he is also interested in contesting
the 2023 presidential election.
But he said age might not be on
his side as he would be 77 years by then, noting that the belief that
the performance of President Muhammadu Buhari has been impaired by old
age and health challenges may make Nigerians wary of entrusting another
near septuagenarian with power in 2023.
A former aide of the late
President Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, had also told THISDAY
that any opposition party must adopt a zoning system that would earn it
votes if it is serious about winning the next presidential election.
Yakassai
explained that the other political parties which are also operating a
zoning principle must not tailor their zoning arrangement to suit that
the ruling party.
“It does not mean that opposition party must
align with the zoning arrangement of the other party. In other words, if
one party produces a candidate from the North, the next one should
produce from the South. But zoning arrangement cannot prevent another
party from producing candidate from the zone where the other party had
produced a candidate that occupy that office at one time,” he stated.
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