NewStats: 3,263,209 , 8,179,402 topics. Date: Thursday, 05 June 2025 at 05:09 AM 5fg5

Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

The battle for the 2023 presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will be a three-horse race between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Daily Independent has gathered.

In October 2018, the trio were the top contenders in the presidential primary of the PDP held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, to determine PDP’s flagbearer for the 2019 presidential election.

While Atiku polled 1,532 votes to emerge the winner of the primary, Tambuwal garnered 693 votes to place second while Saraki came third with 317 votes.

Even though the 2019 Election Review Committee of the party led by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State had asked the party to throw open the contest for the party’s presidential ticket in 2023 to all qualified aspirants, there are feelers that many of the powerbrokers of the party want the North to produce the candidate.

Speaking with Daily Independent, a former senator and member of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT), said given the fact that the election is less than two years away and also following the timetable announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), it will be difficult for a new entrant to the presidential race.

He also added that PDP leaders in their quest to give the 2023 election their best shot have decided that they must field “known name whose antecedent and capability is well known”.

He said a new entrant may only the race if the PDP decides to zone the presidential ticket to the South, which is unlikely.

According to him, “The primaries will be held either in June 2022, going by the proposed Electoral Act under consideration by the National Assembly or latest by October, if the existing law is applied. That leaves either 13 months or 17 months for any entrant into the race.

“The time appears too short for a new entrant. The resources and structure necessary for a good race may also not be readily available now for any new candidate.

“More importantly, PDP leaders have decided that they must take a known name whose antecedent and capability is well known.

“The only reason why a new comer may come in is if the party eventually decides to go to the South to shop for candidate. That is if the party eventually zones the ticket to the South. Former Anambra governor, Peter Obi, may come into the race. He is a known name who also featured in the last ticket of the party as running mate.

“Outside these calculations, it is almost impossible for any new entrant to make any serious impact in the presidential race.

“Between Atiku, Tambuwal and Saraki, they already have the potential delegates committed to them. They also have the resources and the key s that are ing them and ready to go on mobilisation efforts.

“What is not clear is if Atiku who came first in the presidential primaries of 2018 will retain that position, if Tambuwal who came second in 2018 will become the flagbearer or if Saraki who came third then will overtake the other two and come first.

“It will be interesting to see the three leading aspirants trying to outdo each other to get the party’s ticket as the PDP has a good chance to win the presidential race in 2023 judging by development in both the ruling political party and the polity”, he said.

On the chances of former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, our very reliable source, said, “As it is today, Kwankwaso that would have also broken the ranks of the trio of Atiku, Tambuwal and Saraki is said to be too limited by the restrictive nature of his political structure which is known only in Kano.



“Though he has the Kwankwasiyya group in some states of the federation, he is only on ground in Kano State and how can that help a nationwide presidential campaign?” he asked.

“More importantly, his recent problems with top PDP leaders like Ambassador Aminu Wali and his group over zonal party leadership will also do more damage to his suitability as party flag bearer.”

Speaking with Daily Independent, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, a former Minister of Transport, said the leadership of the PDP will be wasting its time if it fields a candidate that is not capable of winning elections.

He said the party must field a candidate that is acceptable to all Nigerians and one that will shun tribal, religious sentiments and unite the country.

“We must choose a candidate that will cut across party affiliations, party interests and appeals to all Nigerians. If we don’t do that, then we will be destroying ourselves because the PDP has got the last chance to let Nigerians know that they really want to return to power.

“We must present a candidate that will shun tribal, religious sentiments and he must be a candidate that wants to win for the party. The party itself must do all it can to ensure that we have a candidate that wants to win election for it.

“If we don’t do that, we will lose grip of the situation and eventually lose the election and that will be very disastrous”.

When asked if the party can field a new entrant, Babatope said, “If the new entrant knows what he wants to get and how to get it, why not? We must not shut the doors against anyone. We must open our doors to those who can make us return to power. If we don’t field a candidate that can win, then we are just wasting our time”.

https://independent.ng/2023-presidency-pdp-may-zero-in-on-atiku-saraki-tambuwal/

Hmm

Even though i don't want a Fulani Muslim after buhari, it would be ok for atiku to preside


He is a strong Fulani moderate Muslim and he can tame his Terrorist brothers in the south without it been seen as tribal clamp down


Should an inferior Muslim from the south become president he would allow the fulanis to continue from where buhari stopped just so he can enjoy their patronage

I see Atiku getting it again. He should pick Peter Obi again as running mate. APC must die

All this Yoruba media and their cut and fake news

Pdp has thrown their ticket open to all interest party

In as much we know power is returning to North

This particular news is fake and based on assumptions of a typical Yoruba human

Write is a yorub human..

Bukola Saraki is not a northerner. He is our son in Yorubaland

stop smoking weed, you won't hear. which other strong candidates are in PDP except this three

Asgard73:
All this Yoruba media and their cut and fake news

Pdp has thrown their ticket open to all interest party

In as much we know power is returning to North

This particular news is fake and based on assumptions of a typical Yoruba human

Write is a yorub human..

Chill bros. You catigorically said the ticket is going north yet you said the report is a lie. Are u sure u are ok?

Asgard73:
All this Yoruba media and their cut and fake news

Pdp has thrown their ticket open to all interest party

In as much we know power is returning to North

This particular news is fake and based on assumptions of a typical Yoruba human

Write is a yorub human..

What about my biafravd brothers that have been slaving for pdp for many many years, nothing for them, they are just too inconsequential to decide anything in nigeria politics

Atiku is the last Pdp resort..

Funnily, the Pdp are so ashamed of promoting/campaigning for Atiku at the moment...

Na which mouth they want to take promote him when He Atiku hasn't really said meaningful things about the activities of killer herdsmen.

Even for the fact that they have vowed to Amadioha not to vote for any Fulani again in Nigeria, they are waiting for Atiku to naturalized as Ibeto indigenes before rolling the campaign for him...

Asgard73:
All this Yoruba media and their cut and fake news

Pdp has thrown their ticket open to all interest party

In as much we know power is returning to North

This particular news is fake and based on assumptions of a typical Yoruba human

Write is a yorub human..

sorry mr man, take it easy and stop wailing, 2023 for yoruba and if you don't like it, you all can move to south sudan

Asgard73:
All this Yoruba media and their cut and fake news

Pdp has thrown their ticket open to all interest party

In as much we know power is returning to North

This particular news is fake and based on assumptions of a typical Yoruba human

Write is a yorub human..

Yoruba is playing ping pong in your akpu filled brain, continue with your folly since Yoruba is your nightmare.

Biafravd:
What about my biafravd brothers that have been slaving for pdp for many many years, nothing for them, they are just too inconsequential to decide anything in nigeria politics

They have never told you they are interested in Nigeria presidency..

You should know that no region dey drag the second fiddle position with them..

The second fiddle position is waiting patiently for them inside the cooler...

In which country are they contesting the election


because OODUA is almost here

Same crooks and motive..which way Nigeria?

All muslims?

Muslim rule for another 8 years

[img]https://media1./images/f68427eb421845c708c8e7dfc817fd9c/tenor.gif?itemid=21071876[/img]

The federal character!

The worst losers in the PDP are the eastern politicians. Whoever becomes the flagbearer of the PDP would flee from the east. I guess the VP slot would now return to the SS.

same old sets of wine in new refined n advanced bottles....
whats the difference between these same old men with buhari??
can they swear with their lives dt they would restructure d country, improve its economy n end insecurity or they just want to continue looting from where buhari stopped..

I wish Saraki can get the ticket. He is a very strong and intelligent man.

Tinubu will beat them all combined, PDP should look for better people

NickNyce:
I wish Saraki can get the ticket. He is a very strong and intelligent man.

Nonsense !!!

paulolee:
same old sets of wine with new bottles.....whats the difference between these same old men with buhari??

teeemekam:

Nuelito post=101364226:
Same crooks...which way Nigeria?

The same people every time. No new players, please give younger people a chance for once

We need young visionary leaders and not these corrupt Old politicians.
How do you expect people that have lived their lives to plan a future for a huge vibrant youths and the future of younger generation .

Proactivity Leads To Productivity!

@Seniorwriter

So PDP sidelines all East that have been fighting, serving the party for many years? Does it mean that there is no better person in East or what? They even pick Half Yoruba ( Bukola Saraki) ahead of Igbos.

Shame on PDP

East, I think u know where u belong now

Think twice


Meanwhile, it will be foolishness for any southerner to consider any Fulani ahead of any Candidate in South

When campaign starts next year, you all would realize IPOB/ESN/Unknown GunMen/Nnamdi Cownu= PDP...

Nigerian electorates have always been mumu. Buhari has clearly punished them for their foolishness. I wanna see if they've learnt from their mistakes this 2023. If they vote for any regular rogue as usual then I'll know they are irredeemably foolish

Odunayomi247:
Hmm

we can do better than these names abi??

Mikehot:
Even though i don't want a Fulani Muslim after buhari, it would be ok for atiku to preside


He is a strong Fulani moderate Muslim and he can tame his Terrorist brothers in the south without it been seen as tribal clamp down


Should an inferior Muslim from the south become president he would allow the fulanis to continue from where buhari stopped just so he can enjoy their patronage

You got it. But l don't APC in free and fair election. That's the issue

I need an emotional song right now some one should help me out ..preferably foreign song

Hmmmm! Na only APC & PDP, we get for this country??

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