A leading member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has
revealed the offers his party has made to Senate President,
Dr. Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and
Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal.....
Other top government functionaries and
party stalwarts nationwide that were made offers to by the PDP include Benue
State Governor Samuel Ortom, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso
and former Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau.
The party also promised to
ensure that former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswll Akpabio,
emerges as Senate Majority Leader as the party believes it would emerge as
majority party in the Senate and House of Representatives after the 2019
general elections According to the reliable PDP source, who is part of the
negotiating team for the merger and political realignments aimed at expanding
the party’s area of control, everything legally possible under the sun is being
done to ensure that President Muhammadu Buhari and his party, All Progressives
Congress (APC), are defeated in the 2019 elections.
He stated that every member
of the party who is qualified to run for the office of the president would be
allowed to contest the party’s ticket with level playing ground, adding however
that Saraki, Dogara, Tambuwal and others have specific positions reserved for
them if they try and failed to win the PDP presidential ticket.
The source said
that Saraki has been assured of retaining his current position as Senate President,
Tambuwal to keep his job as Sokoto State Governor, same with Ortom of Benue
State who was assured of massive support in whatever form to ensure he retruns
as governor under the PDP. For Kwakwanso, who has been having running battle
with Kano State Governor Umar Ganduge, the PDP offered him a return to the
Senate. He is also to share Kano State PDP structure with Shekarau.
The PDP,
according to the source, made it clear that it would abide faithfully with the
terms and conditions it gave to any of the politicains in order to persuade
them to join hands and defeat Buhari in the 2019 presidential election, saying
that unlike the APC, his party, the PDP, always abides by negotiations and
agreements.
The source who spoke in confidence, said, “The PDP already has many
eminent members and aspirants well qualified to govern Nigeria. All of them
with such aspirations will be free to contest for the party ticket in a free
and transparent process.
“We have former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Saraki
is welcome if he has such aspiration, Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo
has shown interest, same with Governor Tambuwal, former governors Kwakwanso and
Sule Lamido. We believe others will come up and declare interest. The doors and
rooms are very open for them to try their luck. “But the PDP has reserved some
positions for those alredy occupying important positions.
They are allowed to
try their hands on the party’s presidential ticket and if they fail to get it,
their positions are intact for them. Saraki is assured of his position as
Senate President. Dogara will be returned as Speaker of the House but if the
President comes from his zone, he will be considered for another position.
The
coast is clear in PDP for Tambuwal for his governorship seat if he did’nt get presidential
ticket. Ortom will receive massive support to return as governor of Benue
State,” he said, adding that former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator
Godswill Akpabio, will become Senate Majority leader.
On what to give to South
East and South-South, the PDP leader said: “Our party, the PDP has many eminent
members from the South East who are being considered for the position of Vice
President and others.
Like I said, Akpabio is ripe to be Senate Majority Leader
because in a few weeks from now PDP will become majority in both houses.
Senator Ike Ekweremadu , Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iwela, Ben Obi, Peter Obi and others
are on the card for the office of the Vice President.
There are many more on
the table for everyone,”he assured and cautioned Saraki and others not to
gamble their fate with the APC. He said, “APC is a basket full of termites.
Most of its leaders are despots and dictators with unforgiven spirits.
They are
desperate now because they are about to sink so they will make whatever promise
and accept all conditions. But, they are only waiting for Saraki and others to
make mistake so they will bring them to shame. On the other hand, PDP is a
party of gentlemen and women.
We are bound by our promises and our words.
Therefore it would be deliberate suicide for anybody to trust APC especially in
view of what transpired after the 2015 elections and emergence of National
Assembly leaders.”
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