•PDP screens vice-presidential nominees today
•Party’s NWC meets over c’ttee’s recommendations on running mate
•Atiku speaks on how to free up funds for social investments
Iyobosa Uwugiaren and Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Desperate to beat deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has quietly submitted his forms, with the inclusion of a ‘place holder’ as running mate.
At the same time, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has constituted a 12-man committee-led by Chief Tom Ikimi, to screen the presidential nominees of the party.
Also, following the meetings of the various elders and consultative committees of the party, on the choice of a vice presidential candidate, the National Working Committee (NWC), of the PDP, met to decide on the recommendations made by the various committees.
This is as the presidential candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has said his main objective was to have Nigerians, who would be the beneficiaries of his policy framework to interrogate the policies on how to reduce infrastructure deficit and free up funds for social investments in the country.
An insider in the ruling APC told THISDAY last night in Abuja that the action by Tinubu and the APC was aimed at meeting the statutory requirement and beat the Friday, June 17, 2022 deadline by INEC for presidential candidates to submit names of their deputies to the commission.
But the choice of running mate is yet to be resolved hence the decision to include a “place holder” instead as vice-presidential candidate, while Tinubu and the APC were still making consultations for a suitable deputy that would enhance the party’s victory in 2023.
The controversy over the suitability of the APC running with a Muslim-Muslim ticket or otherwise, has been very intense in the last few days.
“The name of the running mate submitted would be changed for another northern politician in the next few weeks. The one submitted is just holding the ticket in trust for another candidate to be picked by Tinubu and the party in the next few weeks.
“The candidate is still widely consulting, because the issues around the choice of running mate are many and he is yet to address them all. So, he is still asking for more time to look into it all – whether he is running a Muslim-Muslim or a Muslim-Christian ticket.
“He personally thinks there’s a need for more consultation and that’s what he is doing. The debate on the choice of deputy has assumed a level that is currently greater than the party and the candidate, hence the need for comprehensive consultation, which is what he is doing,” a reliable party source hinted last night.
Though some names had been mentioned as possible running-mate to the former Lagos state, it was gathered that no compromise have been reached yet.
A source in the Tinubu’s camp told THISDAY that all the northern governors want the position.
The source added that if Tinubu had his way, he would have loved to pick the former Governor of Borno state, Kashim Shettima as his running-mate, but he wanted the president and the governors to pick.
The source said: “All northern governors want it. If Tinubu has his way, it will be Senator Kashim. But he wants the president and governors to pick for him.”
Asked why Tinubu does not want to pick his running mate himself, the source stressed he didn’t want to be a winner takes it all.
“He does not want to be the winner takes it all. You need to respect the president. Buhari did not choose VP for himself in 2015.”
From the PDP camp, a credible party source, had disclosed that after an extensive deliberation, where Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and sacked former Imo State governor, Emeka Ihedioha, were considered, the vice-presidential nomination committee, settled for one of the governors.
A statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, however, named Dr. Akilu Indabawa, as the Committee Secretary while Mr. Sunday Omobo, was nominated as Administrative Secretary.
“Pursuant to Part VI, Paragraph 14 of the the Electoral Guidelines of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the National Working Committee (NWC), has approved the nomination of the following party members to serve on the Vice Presidential Candidate Screening Committee for the screening/verifying of the nominated Vice Presidential Candidate of our Party for the 2023 general election,” the statement stated.
Other members of the committee, the statement listed, were Chief Osita Chidoka, Member; Rt. Hon. Binta Bello, Member; Chief Mrs. Alh. Mutiat Adedoja, Member; Rt. Hon. Austin Opara, Member; Prof. Aisha Madawaki, Member; Mrs. Ayotunde George-Ologun, Member; Chief Mrs. Chidiebelu Mofus, Member; and H.E. Fidelis Tapgun, Member.
The party said the screening exercise would hold at the National Working Committee (NWC) Hall, PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, today, June 16, 2022. at 10am.
Deadline for the submission of presidential candidates and the vice-presidential candidates ends tomorrow, June 17, as the INEC website shuts down automatically by 6pm.
Also, deadline for the submission of governorship and state assembly candidates ended yesterday, Wednesday, June 15, while the submission for National Assembly candidates ends tomorrow, Friday June 17.
Sources close to the party informed THISDAY that the NWC will submit the names of three vice presidential nominees to Atiku for his consideration.
The three nominees were of South South and South East zones.
