Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, has said that the leadership of the party is working towards getting a consensus candidate that would fly its flag in the 2023 presidential election.
Baraje spoke to reporters in Minna, the Niger State capital, saying that the consensus option was being worked upon to avoid acrimony among the many qualified contenders for the presidential ticket of the party.
“We did it for the national chairmanship position without any hitch; we are seriously looking into the consensus option for the presidential ticket,” he said.
Baraje, who is an apostle of the presidential ticket coming to the North Central geopolitical zone, hinted that the issue national chairman, which is already in the zone in the person of Senator Iyorcha Ayu, would be addressed, when a candidate from the North central emerges as the presidential candidate of the party.
According to Baraje, “We are a big party. We know how to solve our problems. So, when we get there we will know how to solve the problem.”
Baraje, however, lampooned the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, for inflicting pains on Nigerians through bad economic policies, noting that a return of the PDP to the center would restore hope to Nigerians as it would correct all the injustices and address all the wrong deeds of the APC government.
According to him, a PDP president come 2023 would remain at home to tackle the myriad of problems facing the people, and would not continue to remain silent, when innocent people are being killed daily by armed gunmen.
Addressing stakeholders of the party during which he secured their endorsement for former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki as their candidate for the 2023 presidential election earlier, Baraje noted that it was the turn of the North Central zone to produce the president of the country.
This was even as the stakeholders during the interactive session also backed the call by the Advocacy Group, led by Baraje to the meeting for the North central zone to produce the presidential flag bearer of the party for the election in 2023.
The endorsement of Senator Bukoka Saraki for the PDP ticket and the North Central zone to produce the presidential candidate was moved by a former Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Alhaji Mohammed Mohammed Alkali, and was seconded by a former commissioner in the state, Mrs. Lami Makama.
When the State Chairman of the party, Mr. Tanko Beji, put the matter to vote, those in support carried the day.
