The PDP is a house of cards; it has Atiku, a strong candidate from the North, but it is expected that the South will produce the next president of Nigeria. According to reports, the reason for this decision is to promote national unity and cohesion in the face of the country’s current crisis. Multiple sources have revealed that the decision to settle for a candidate from the south was to match the All Progressives Congress (APC), which had already agreed in principle to zone the presidency to the South after Buhari completes his tenure in 2023.
While the governor of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has been the poster-boy for the party, the APC have made several advances to lure him into their camp.
Few months ago, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) held a meeting in Abuja, where the question on the agenda was how the party could regain its old glory lost to the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The PDP and many of its leaders expressed solidarity and condemned the incompetence of President Buhari and his party, the APC government, especially the government’s inability to solve national security issues.
Who will get the PDP’s Greenlight in 2023?
Atiku Abubakar
Among the names which have been noted in political circles as favourites to inherit Buhari’s bloc vote – in the race to lead the world’s maximum populous black nation – is Atiku Abubakar. Atiku was Nigeria’s vice-president from 1999 to 2007 under the People’s Democratic Party.
Like President Buhari, Atiku – a successful businessman – is a northern Muslim whose presidential ambitions can be traced back to the failure of the Third Republic in 1992. Since then, he ran for presidency four times. Though yet to announce his intention to run again in 2023, his close partner and his gestures indicates that his eyes is still focused on Nigeria’s power center Aso Rock.
Seyi Makinde
Leading up to 2023 General elections, the Igbo community in Oyo State strongly supports any presidential ambition that Governor Seyi Makinde might have, and describes the governor’s comprehensive governance approach as unparalleled. This was disclosed to the Special Assistant to the Governor on Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC), Mr. Tallest Innocent.
Peter Obi
Mr. Obi who was the Vice-Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 election is a strong potential candidate for the prize.
The former governor of Anambra, Peter Obi, transformed politics from transactional to transformative and established himself as the leader and servant of the people. It is important to note that, in addition to being honest and transparent, It is also generally agreed that Obi is humble, selfless, and fanatical when it comes to the well-being of citizens.
Seyi Makinde and/or Peter Obi on a presidential ticket under the PDP will be an absolute dream. All APC has to offer are old guards, feudal lords and megalomaniacs. PDP have an opportunity to do something truly dreamy with that pair.
Time will tell!