Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The South-south Emerging Leaders Forum (SELF) has called on the leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to ignore the consensus arrangement reached by the Northern elders ahead of the party’s presidential primary scheduled to hold on Saturday.

Former President Ibrahim Babangida-led Northern leaders had asked the Northern  aspirants in PDP to pick a consensus aspirant among the four major aspirants from the region which later produced Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi and former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

But in a statement issued yesterday  by the National Coordinator of the forum, Mr. Preye Johnson, said only Mohammed can convincingly win a presidential election for the PDP based on facts on the ground.

The group noted that for the main opposition party to return to power,  PDP leaders should not ignore various opinion polls conducted by various reputable organisations which came out to be in favour of  Mohammed.

It said: “In the North East zone comprising of Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe and Borno, PDP has equal states with the APC, but the party owes its strength in the zone to Bala Mohammed who has repeatedly funded the party activities not just in Bauchi but also in Gombe and Yobe where the party is not in power.

“The national body of the party has consistently leaned towards the governor when troubled and seeking for a way out. In one of the instances, the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee had in May 2021 appointed Bala Mohammed to chair a committee to advise it on the contentious zoning arrangement ahead of the 2023 election.

“In spite of the fact that his zone, the North East and of course the South East have never tasted the presidency, the unselfish Bala Mohammed thought it wise for the interest of the country and the party importantly recommended an open contest.”

“Of a truth, North-east is yet to taste the power so also the South-east, and that probably suggests that while the two foremost contenders are Bala Mohammed from the North-east and Peter Obi from the South-east in that order as recorded by a recent scientific survey.”

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The South-south Emerging Leaders Forum (SELF) has called on the leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to ignore the consensus arrangement reached by the Northern elders ahead of the party’s presidential primary scheduled to hold on Saturday.

Former President Ibrahim Babangida-led Northern leaders had asked the Northern  aspirants in PDP to pick a consensus aspirant among the four major aspirants from the region which later produced Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi and former Senate President Bukola Saraki.

But in a statement issued yesterday  by the National Coordinator of the forum, Mr. Preye Johnson, said only Mohammed can convincingly win a presidential election for the PDP based on facts on the ground.

The group noted that for the main opposition party to return to power,  PDP leaders should not ignore various opinion polls conducted by various reputable organisations which came out to be in favour of  Mohammed.

It said: “In the North East zone comprising of Bauchi, Gombe, Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe and Borno, PDP has equal states with the APC, but the party owes its strength in the zone to Bala Mohammed who has repeatedly funded the party activities not just in Bauchi but also in Gombe and Yobe where the party is not in power.

“The national body of the party has consistently leaned towards the governor when troubled and seeking for a way out. In one of the instances, the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee had in May 2021 appointed Bala Mohammed to chair a committee to advise it on the contentious zoning arrangement ahead of the 2023 election.

“In spite of the fact that his zone, the North East and of course the South East have never tasted the presidency, the unselfish Bala Mohammed thought it wise for the interest of the country and the party importantly recommended an open contest.”

“Of a truth, North-east is yet to taste the power so also the South-east, and that probably suggests that while the two foremost contenders are Bala Mohammed from the North-east and Peter Obi from the South-east in that order as recorded by a recent scientific survey.”