By Sadeeq Muhammad Umar
Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo state on Tuesday joined his South-South and Northern counterparts in assuring that the consensus arrangement being canvassed by four Northern Presidential aspirants of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is a sure way of the party clinching the coveted office next year.
Gov. Makinde who observed that the arrangement is not alien to the party as it had not too long ago produced its National Chairman, said the PDP can perform the same feat again in its nomination of who bears its flag in the forthcoming election.
He stated this when he received his Sokoto and Bauchi states counterparts: Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Bala Muhammad; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and ex-Managing Director of FSB International Bank Plc, Muhammad Hayatudeen at Government House, Agodi, Ibadan.
“We did it at the last convention of our party and that was the first time the PDP was able to achieve bringing in a National Chairman for the party through a consensus arrangement,” he explained.
According to him, “Nigerians will take this party seriously when they know that we are all working together to give them a president through a process that has everybody’s buy-in; where there is no rancour among the stakeholders. So, I promise my elder brothers that we will work hand in hand to ensure that this consensus arrangement is successful.
“I have also said that, internally, we will ensure that people understand what we are trying to do. And where there is any iota of doubt or confusion. We will put a mechanism in place where it will get addressed almost immediately as we move along,” he added.
In his remarks, Senator Saraki, who said they were in Ibadan to brief the Governor on the idea of the consensus arrangement that the quadrumvirate are trying to do together, said in the face of the quagmire being experienced in the country under the current administration, “it is only our party, PDP, that can provide a brighter future for this country.”
“But we think we ourselves must be ready for government in 2023, by uniting ourselves and being focused.
“This must not be about our individual interests but that of Nigerians. Of course, we all have our individual interests to become the president but we have decided in our meetings that we are ready to subject ourselves to a consensus arrangement.
“It is not just for one part of the country but for the PDP as a party. Even, whoever emerges cannot rebuild this country by himself will need the support of everybody and we want the foundation to start from that process, and that is why we are here,” Saraki added.
