A former Governor of Jigawa State and one of the founding members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Sule Lamido has disowned some Northern PDP elders who purportedly shortlisted former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and governor of Bauchi state, Bala Mohammed as northern consensus candidates for the PDP.
A statement which Lamido personally signed and was made available to the National Update in Abuja on Saturday, said that the position of the Northern Elders is not only injurious to the North but equally injurious to the Northern Aspirants.
Some Northern leaders on Friday had shortlisted former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and governor of Bauchi state, Bala Mohammed as consensus PDP candidates for the North
In a communique signed by former Vice-Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, the Northern leaders said the election of Saraki and Bala Mohammed was arrived at based on certain criteria adopted in the assessment of the four aspirants who submitted themselves for the exercise.
“For the purpose of this exercise, it is hereby resolved that Gov. Bala Mohammad from the North-East and former Senate President Bukola Saraki from the North-Central be presented as the Northern consensus candidates for the moment.
“It was resolved that a leading aspirant from the North-Central and one from the North-East are to be presented as Northern Presidential candidates.
However in a swift reaction Lamido in his statement said,
“The attention of key stakeholders of the PDP in the Northern State has been drawn to reports in the Media that some Northern Elders have shortlisted two of our prominent and deserving aspirants as consensus PDP Presidential Candidates
“Having widely consulted Party Leaders across the 19 Northern States and FCT, it is hereby stated to our teeming Party members and the general public that what is reported in the Media is only the personal opinion of those who issued the statement and not the position of the PDP members in the North!”
He said discussions are ongoing with ALL the aspirants in the Party with a view to having a National Consensus if possible or at least working towards having a smooth acrimony free National Convention.