Nine gubernatorial aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from Kwara North Senatorial District, have resolved to pick a candidate for the 2023 general elections in the state without any rancour through consensus arrangement.
DAILY POST reports that the party had earlier zoned the governorship ticket to the senatorial district for the general elections.
The resolution was contained in a communique issued at the end of a meeting held in Abuja with the national leader of the party, Dr Bukola Saraki on April 12, 2022, at his Maitama residence, in the Federal Capital Territory.
Part of the communique made available to DAILY POST reads: “We, the undersigned gubernatorial aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State today, April 12, 2022, held a meeting with the party’s national leader from our state, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, CON in his Maitama home, Abuja.
“The meeting lasted for three hours and centred on how to ensure that the opportunity given to our zone, Kwara North Senatorial District, to produce the governorship candidate of the party in the March 2023 election by the leadership of the party in the state is utilised to achieve unity, co-operation and development among our people for the benefit of the entire state.
“We are united in our resolve to address all issues leading to the emergence of the gubernatorial candidate in such a manner that it further strengthens the party and enhances the chances of the PDP winning the next general elections in Kwara State at all levels.”
In his opening remark before yielding the ground for the nine aspirants to freely deliberate among themselves, the party’s national leader, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, noted that the present situation in the country necessitates the need for consensus building, building bridges of understanding, and acting in the best interest of the country and her respective states as well as placing collective interest above individual aspirations.
The former Senate President in the eighth Senate urged every one of the aspirants to act as a statesman, genuine patriot, architect of unity and solution finder.
Following this remark, the aspirants collectively reiterated their gratitude and appreciation to the PDP leadership in the state for allowing the Kwara North Senatorial zone to produce the next governor of the state and promised not to disappoint the people of Kwara State as they were determined to work with all leaders in the five local government areas in the district to choose a competent, qualified, popular, well-accepted candidate which the entire state will find easy and compelling to rally around as the PDP gubernatorial candidate.
They observed that “the reality of a Kwara State governor from the Kwara North is beginning to be a reality. Six months ago, we did not think we would have gotten this far. That is why we will continue to be grateful to all stakeholders from the other zones, particularly, our national leader, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, for working tirelessly to build a consensus around the zoning of the governorship in our zone.
They particularly noted with delight and admiration the transparent, sincere, mature, and progressive manner in which the leadership of PDP has been resolving the issues around the emergence of candidates for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate in the State.
The aspirants said they believed the method adopted by the leadership which is ensuring that candidates emerged based on the wishes and preferences of the constituents is unprecedented and deserves to be emulated across the country by other state chapters and other parties.
” Having expressed our satisfaction with the consensus building and grassroots participatory process, we urged all aspirants who are not successful this time around to accept the decision and move on to support the party and the chosen candidates so that our party can decisively win the next elections to provide good governance to the people of the state.
” We resolved that the micro-zoning of the gubernatorial ticket to Edu and Patigi LGAs as suggested by leaders of the Senatorial District has further underlined the readiness of our zone to produce the eventual candidate in an atmosphere of peace and unity. This move enjoys our unanimous support,” the communique declared.
The aspirants further asserted that “Overall, we have agreed that we shall without further delay intensify our consultations with our leaders in the zone and come up with the name of the gubernatorial candidate.
“We also believe that with the systematic, methodical, and all-inclusive approach adopted by the leadership of the party up to this level, whoever the candidate is and whenever he is announced, we will all support the decision and work for the emergence of the candidate as the next governor of the state.”
Present at the meeting were, Aliyu Ahman Pategi, former House of Representatives member, Ibrahim Bio, Prof. (Amb.) Mohammed Gana Yisa, Alhaji. Shuaibu Yaman Abdullahi, Zakari Mohammed, Alhaji. M. M. Abubakar, Abubakar S. Ahmad, Ndanusa Kawu Adam and Comrade Abubakar M. Shamaki.
