2023: PDP has settled for northern presidential candidate – Babangida Aliyu

A former governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu, has said that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has agreed to pick its candidate for the 2023 presidential race from one of the zones in the northern region of the country despite its agreement that any candidate can contest the election.

Dr Babangida Aliyu disclosed this on Friday when the Atiku Support Organisation visited him in Minna, adding that he is confident of the success of the group. He also assured them of his support. He said the party’s decision is a result of the requests of members.

Addressing members of the support group, Aliyu said, “In our zoning agreement, we have agreed to re-zone the North as requested by others but we have agreed written openly as a result of what has happened that any candidate from any part of the country can now contest this election.”

He added that the group has done wonderfully well by going around nooks and crannies of the country to ensure that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar emerges as the party flag bearer and is elected President of Nigeria come 2023. The National Coordinator of the group, Dr Victor Moses, thanked the former governor for his continued support for Atiku Abubakar even as 2023 approaches.

The PDP had recently zoned the position of its national chairman to the north-central, leading to the emergence of former President of the Senate, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, as the party’s National Chairman last October. But the party has remained mum on which of the zones will produce its presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.

After his election as national chairman, Ayu hinted at the likelihood of the PDP choosing its 2023 presidential candidate by consensus. He was however silent on whether the party will zone the presidential ticket to a particular part region or zone.

“If the PDP could come together to agree on a particular individual for chairman, it means it was capable too of coming together to produce one single candidate to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential election,” he said.