In a matter of hours the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP will brace the tape as the first political party to pick its presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.
TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) in this analysis will take a peep at the four major contestants in a battle that would showcase a veteran presidential aspirant, Abubakar Atiku, a former number two citizen of Nigeria, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the governor of Sokoto state and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Bukola Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State and President of the Senate in the 8th Senate, Nyesom Wike, a former Minister of Education, former ALGON chairman and serving Governor of Rivers State.
Others include, former Senate President and SGF, Anyim Pius Anyim, Sam Ohuanbuwa, former Group Managing Director of Neimeth Nigeria Plc, Isa Hayautudeen a former banker and a host of others.
The battle to clinch the PDP ticket may not be an easy one because the major contestants are all political gladiators with intimidating credentials and can never be pushovers.
Abubakar Atiku: The former vice president had it all wrapped up in 2007 but his political career developed a k-leg because of his frosty relationship with his boss, former President Olusegun Obasanjo the Ota oracle who ensured his deputy’s political career was permanently nailed in a coffin.
This will be his fourth attempt trying to rule Nigeria making him a veteran presidential aspirant in the mould of serving President Muhammadu Buhari who tried and eventually got it on a platter but turned out to be a collosal failure after seven years in office.
His chance at the presidential primary is still clouded as his chances of clinching it is heavily dependent on the invisible forces that garnered support for him from the blues in 2019 in Port Harcourt.
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a lawyer, this maverick politician is known to brace the odds and manage to clinch positions like he did in 2011. But the ghost of 2011 is busy hunting him as his chances are a dark big cloud that may take him no where.
Bukola Saraki, a medical doctor turned politician is capable of turning the tables if the slightest opportunity emerges but presidential primaries are not a child’s play.
If he gets his act right with the support of his geo-political zone, the north central and contacts he built in the far north as Senate President, this medical doctor may have a good showing at the primaries.
Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, a lawyer, a grassroots politician who has never lost any political battle all his political career has repeatedly begged his party’s leadership to give him its presidential ticket for his loyalty to PDP since 1998.
He says it without mincing words that he has the magical wand to wrestle power from the ruling party if tested.
He started his consultations since March and had toured all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria trying to gather support.
Among the major contestants, he is the only aspirant that has vowed to support any aspirant that emerges while others that had prostituted with the party remained taciturn.
He’s a major force to contend with in the Primaries today.
Anyim Pius Anyim, the hope of the south east has one of the tallest credentials in government corridors as a one time Senate President, SGF at the federal level.
A gentleman with the touch of civility but his chances are equally clouded in doubts.
Other aspirants will mark register on Saturday but the turning point is that it’s too close to clearly point at who may emerge PDP presidential flag bearer provided there’s no horse trading and betrayals.
