The crowd in the race for the People’s Democratic Party ticket is so large that Atiku Abubakar may lose it. It won’t be like last time, when the race was nearly entirely confined to the northern region. With the vice presidential spot up for grabs, he’ll have to court two southern contenders.
Mr. Nyesom Wike has stated his position. He stated that he was not running for vice president in order to negotiate for the position. That means Mr. Atiku Abubakar will no longer be required to meet with Wike for any negotiations. In the same primary election, Mr. Wike would pose a major danger to Mr. Atiku Abubakar. Negotiating with someone from the south-south geopolitical zone is the only way out. This would cause a schism in the region.
Atiku Abubakar should also fly to Akwa Ibom to meet with the state governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel. For Alh. Atiku, it would be an excellent plan. He and the governor can have a productive conversation and collaborate.
Aminu Tambuwal and Bala Mohammed were led by Bukola Saraki to see the governor a few days ago. They were plainly attempting to persuade him. Since no agreement has been reached, this means Udom Emmanuel, Atiku, may still be available for a meeting.
Mr. Udom Emmanuel hasn’t put forth as much effort as the other candidates in the election. He might be willing to accept a bargain or the vice presidential seat from Adamawa State’s ambitious politician.
If Udom rejects the offer, Atiku might pursue Mr. Ayodele Fayose. The former governor of Ekiti State must have assessed his chances in the crowded fight for the party’s nomination. He’d be willing to make any political arrangement with Atiku Abubakar.
The significance of this step is that if Ayodele Fayose accepts the plan, Atiku will have Southwest in his pocket. The region will not be left out of the primary election and Fayose isn’t just a regional member.
