Anyim condemns the influence of “primordial sentiment” in voting
Aluko presents an analysis of the voting pattern
Leaders of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and other leading politicians, particularly in the North, have begun a fence repair strategy to strengthen Atiku Abubakar’s candidacy and the party’s chances ahead of the February 2023 elections.
Although Governor Nyesom Wike, who was defeated in second place in Saturday’s presidential primaries, had assured that he would work with whoever emerged as a candidate, the party’s national chairperson, Iyorchia Ayu, has moved to bring about a very quick reconciliation.
Reconciliation moves, it was revealed on Sunday, began to bear fruit, as the Ayu-led team met with Wike, Atiku and Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and other key stakeholders.
Also emerging is the attempt to use the election of the vice-presidential candidate to further heal the political wounds registered before and during the primaries.
Two zones, the South East and South South, have been mentioned in previous discussions related to the choice of the running mate. However, many are of the opinion that the choice of the vice presidential candidate should not stem from considerations such as past and present loyalty to the presidential candidate.
“What is topical and crucial to the issue of reconciliation now is how we can apply all the factors, including the issues of choosing the vice presidential candidate for political healing. It has been suggested in meetings before and after yesterday’s presidential primary that the party and its leaders should be actively involved in the selection process for Atiku’s running mate. We must avoid a situation that suggests that only those who were in his political camp could contribute to the discussion on how to appoint the vice-presidential candidate,” said a PDP NEC member.
Meanwhile, new facts have emerged about the issues that shaped former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s eventual emergence as the PDP’s presidential candidate in a hotly contested presidential primary on Saturday.
What happened on Saturday night has been linked to the strategic intervention of key leaders in the North. It emerged that as the campaign escalated, the North’s two main challengers, Atiku Abubakar and Aminu Tambuwal, were tasked with immediately calling a truce to allow one of their number to emerge.
“Although no particular person was ever specifically asked to retire, it was obvious that the younger of the two, Tambuwal, would have to retire as he had more political years ahead of him,” a source revealed.
Although Tambuwal had strong political relationships with River State Governor Nyesom Wike in the past, the twists that culminated in Atiku’s election as presidential candidate were too strong for that relationship.
In 2019, Wike was the main pillar of support for Tambuwal’s presidential ambition. But the two grew far apart in last Saturday’s primary.
And in reaction to Atiku’s appearance, former Senate President Anyim Pius Anyim expressed surprise that the vote was based on overriding sentiment.
In a statement on Sunday, the former Federation Government Secretary said: “I am surprised that the consideration to vote for the PDP presidential candidate was not based on national burning issues and how to solve them, but on the old primordial feelings. It seems doubtful that our quest for nationality is yielding any results.
“I deeply appreciate and thank everyone who supported me during this race, especially those who voted for me in the primary election. I want to assure everyone that we will continue to stand tall until we birth the Nigeria of our collective dreams.
“Let me also congratulate His Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar for becoming the PDP standard bearer for the 2023 presidential election. Long live Nigerians.”
Also emerging is the immediate political awareness, strategy and realignment across political boundaries created by Atiku’s emergence as the PDP’s presidential candidate on Saturday.
Even in the All Progressives Congress (APC) a new wave of awareness is being generated about the potential threat that Atiku’s rise poses to the ruling party.
Acting Senate Leader and former Abia State Governor Orji Kalu stated that the APC will enter a political desert in 2023 if it fails to elect its candidate from the North because the PDP has already chosen Atiku as its candidate.
In a tagged release. Kudos to the PDP for electing a northeasterner,” Kalu said. “For our party, the APC, it is no longer feasible to talk about candidates from the south, unless the APC wants to retire politically.”
He added: “I urge the national chairman of the party and the entire NWC to stamp and locate the APC presidential ticket in the northeast.”
Kalu argued that “President Muhammad Buhari has the right to choose his successor and I ask him to choose Senator Ahmad Lawan as his successor. In any democratic scenario, presidents and governors support and choose their successors. I call on President Buhari to choose a successor from the Northeast and that will be the fairness that the Southeast needs. With the northeast, the cycle will be the closest to the completion of the regions that will produce the president of Nigeria.”
“By now, all would-be APCs should abandon their ambition and support a northeasterner. Senator Ahmad Lawan is destiny. Congratulations to the Northeast as we look forward to a President of Nigeria from the Northeast.”
Senate President Ahmad Lawan was pushed into the presidential race three weeks ago over the possibility that Atiku’s candidacy could eliminate the APC in 2023.
His nomination form was obtained on his behalf by a group of supporters led by Sam Nkire.
Nkire had told reporters that his group was asked to buy Lawan’s nomination form to counter the possibility of Atiku’s candidacy.
He said there was nothing wrong with the APC choosing their presidential candidate from the North if the PDP did.
According to him, if the PDP gives up its presidential ticket to the North, it would be political suicide for the APC to act in the opposite direction.
On the issue of zoning, Chief Nkire said; “Let me tell you that all politicians are in politics to win. It is the PDP that drives us to do this. We have said it, but we don’t want the PPD to take the government away from us. If you give the job to a southerner and the PDP gives it to a northerner, APC will go to the desert and we are not ready to go to the desert.
PPD, northern leaders celebrate Tambuwal
MEANWHILE, top PDP leaders and key leaders from the North have continued to praise Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal for withdrawing to Atiku, a development they believed saved the day for Waziri Adamawa.
Tambuwal’s residence in Abuja has become something of a Mecca for top leaders from the north since the PDP’s presidential primary elections concluded on Saturday night.
Newslodge confirmed that Atiku, who was the first to visit Tambuwal, arrived at the Sokoto State Governor’s Maitama residence as soon as he left the National Stadium at 1am on Sunday.
Other dignitaries who also visited Tambuwal included PDP National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu along with other party leaders.
HOWEVER, Professor Bolaji Aluko has claimed to have done a “rapid actuarial analysis of the voting pattern of the 2022 PDP presidential primaries”. According to him, the three northern candidates with votes (Atiku, Saraki, Bala Mohammed) got 461 votes, while the four southern candidates (Wike, Udom Emmanuel, Anyim, Ohabunwa) got 290 votes.
“In terms of Local Government, there are a total of 419 delegates from the North and 355 delegates from the South to make a total of 774 delegates, 23 more than those 651 delegates, who actually cast valid votes.
“Assuming actuarially that 12 delegates from the North and 11 delegates from the South did not vote, that means that 407 delegates from the North and 344 delegates from the South voted.
“If all 407 delegates from the North voted for the Northern candidates, they must have been joined by 54 delegates from the South. Less than that same number must have voted for the Southern candidates out of all the Southern delegates. In short, 15 percent of the delegates from the South could have crossed over to vote for the Northern candidates.
“Currently, Atiku won 90 percent of the vote from the North, while Wike won about 70 percent of the vote from the delegates from the South.
“Currently, Saraki (70) got just under 60 percent of the Mid-North vote (LG=119).
Actuarially, Udom (38) removed all of its delegates from Akwa Ibom (LG=31) and added a third from neighboring Cross River State (LG=18), perhaps.
“Currently, Bala Mohammed (20) cleared his entire Bauchi State (LG=20) and nowhere else.
Finally, actuarially, Pius Anyim (14) cleared his status from Ebonyi (LG = 13), with only one additional delegate from elsewhere.
“There you go. The PDP has spoken. Nigerians expect other political parties to do the same, particularly APC.
“It is quite possible that around 40 per cent of the delegates from the Southwest voted for the candidates from the North, with Lagos, Ogun and Osun contributing 90 per cent of that, mainly to Atiku due to filial connections. The Ondo state may have gone all the way for Atiku, who knows?
