Following a deep soul-searching stemming from its defeat in the 2015 general elections, the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to return to its core zoning arrangement and is now shopping for a northern presidential candidate to confront the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 poll.



From The AUTHORITY checks, on the PDP's radar watch are former members of the party who defected to the APC at the height of the in-house crisis that rocked the party before the 2015 polls. Some Northern region members seen as strong and promising candidates are also on the list.



The top contenders include Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State, as well as a few progressive northern dark horses.



Even as the PDP carefully monitors significant cracks emerging within the APC, fed by the plots and counter-plots that produced the current leadership of the National Assembly as well as the alleged lack of consultations in producing President Muhammadu Buhari's ministerial list, The AUTHORITY can report that representatives of some of these candidates have been holding clandestine meetings with PDP top shots.



These indications are emerging as the PDP continues its crucial National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, with rife allegations of bribery by some sponsors of candidates.



Sources told The AUTHORITY that despite the PDP's defeat in the last general elections, the party still enjoys considerable goodwill that will balloon into surprising electoral gains once the PDP returns to its original zoning system - which the party has done.



It could be recalled that the Post-Election Review Committee set up by the leadership of the PDP and headed by the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu has submitted its report to the party.



The AUTHORITY scooped that after a rigorous self-interrogation, the PDP came out with a 23-point recommendation, the most important being that the party seeks its next presidential candidate from Northern Nigeria to compensate for the obvious violation of the zoning arrangement in the 2011election which provoked a major apathy in the North from 2011, culminating in the poor performance of the party in the 2015 elections.



Sources told The AUTHORITY that the PDP would now adhere strictly to the zoning principle which has been the strength of the party, especially at the presidential and governorship elections.



The AUTHORITY also gleaned that the PDP resolved that party organs at all levels should be properly constituted and empowered to function in accordance with the party's constitution and that party structures should be fully recognized and used in all party activities.



Further, it was gathered that the PDP will immediately entrench a financial system that promotes accountability, transparency and prudent management of party finances and also embark on a membership review that would have a comprehensive electronic register of members.



This will ensure revenues for the operation of the party through the process by stipulating affordable fees payable by members in the new biometric registration.





Part of further recommendations of the PDP, revealed by sources, are that the party will develop a fund-raising and financial management plan and should clearly state and delineate financial responsibilities and entitlements of every level of the party administration.



In the emerging scenario, it was also gathered that the office of the Publicity Secretary was recommended to receive adequate funding to help the party mount a sustained commentary on the actions and inactions of the APC government.



Our sources stated that now PDP delegates will emerge through direct primaries so as to diminish electoral disputes and restore confidence and internal democracy and also the appointment of persons to serve as members of election and appeal panels would be subjected to transparent process.



Other recommendations revealed by our sources include that the PDP will develop a campaign finance regulation to ensure the monitoring of campaign expenses and strengthen its legal department to provide post-election support, especially with respect to post-election litigations.



The party will also ensure the integration of women, youths and persons with disabilities who are party members into the campaign structures at all levels and adhere strictly to issue-based campaigns following the party's manifestos and avoid all hate messages during electioneering.



The AUTHORITY also gathered that would now coordinate and supervise all election activities of Third Party groups to ensure that they conform to extant laws and the party ideological disposition.



Meanwhile, some persons from the North East were said to have brought in a sum of N200 million for distribution as bribes to key NEC members since Wednesday night to ensure that they voted for a candidate of their choice from the geo-political zone.



However, the NEC is divided between those who want the Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to continue in office until the expiration of the current National Working Committee in March next year after which a new National Chairman would be elected.



Those supporting Secondus posit that bringing in a new National Chairman to serve only for five months is not in the best interests of the party.



A prominent member from the North East is said to be in charge of the distribution of the largesse. The use of bribes to project the North East candidate is being seen as against the new rebuilding spirit in the party, which is in dire need of cleaning up its image in the eyes of the public.



It is argued that any new chairman who emerged through bribes, would not have the support of the generality of party members and may jeopardize the fortunes of the party in coming elections.


http://www.authorityngr.com/2015/10/Saraki-Tambuwal-Atiku-Mark-may-fly-PDP-s-flag-in-2019.html

Utter rubbish

not surprised sha.


but surprised at the rate PDP belief APC will go down come 2019.

by the way thought PDP n SS said APC is a northern party so why give them the President again.

for now SS and SE are PDP

Who cares?

For where. . Saraki will still want to flex. That Senate president seat. Very well...

BALLOSKI:
Who cares?

People care bro. I'm pretty sure,some people are curious to know who the PDP will want to present as there presidential candidate come 2019. So its just information for the public.

trust me ATIKU IS CURSED, OBJ said he can never be president and knws why. Saraki is a clown whether in apc or pdp. The highest he can get is senate. The world knws who he is as kwara criminal + his uncertanity of dumping party also with atiku who cant be trusted by both party.tambuwal is ready to take a bullet for pmb just like elrufai. They cant disobey him becos they would want to ride on pmb strength in the future and their commion with pdp will end that

squash1986:


People care bro. I'm pretty sure,some people are curious to know who the PDP will want to present as there presidential candidate come 2019. So its just information for the public.

BUHARI till 2023 Insh a Allahu

PDP should prepare for 2023 if Buhari is contesting plssssss...

sandraokosun:
trust me ATIKU IS CURSED, OBJ said he can never be president and knws why. Saraki is a clown whether in apc or pdp. The highest he can get is senate. The world knws who he is as kwara criminal + his uncertanity of dumping party also with atiku who cant be trusted by both party.tambuwal is ready to take a bullet for pmb just like elrufai. They cant disobey him becos they would want to ride on pmb strength in the future and their commion with pdp will end that

But there is something individual interest and ambition, these two tendencies may come to play on these individuals. And before we forget, PDP is still big party which all these people were once part of.
Time will tell anyway, this might all just be speculations in the media so as to sell there papers in the market.

mark is overated his boundary end in benue south at most in benue as he couldnt even influence anything to make his co-senator in the central win. Germade defected to apc within weeks and akume won for him and also won his own. Dawanbo is a clown just like ribadu, they arent politicians. Ribadu couldnt win his adamawa in 2011. A dummy can never play politics and gej showed that . pdp is buried but we have to show its dumb supporters

Lol. . .PDP and joke are like bread and butter!

David Mark who's hated outside his own Senatorial District even within his native Benue State wanna contest the Presidency against Buhari? He would sure lose Benue. If at all he wins the PDP Primaries, being a Christian Northerner (Middle-Belt), a Yoruba Muslim is gonna be chosen as his Running-Mate or a Muslim from Edo State (which is unlikely) which has the highest number of Muslims in the South South and Southeast. Buhari (Northwest), Osinbajo (Southwest) against David Mark (North-Central) and a Southwestern Muslim. . Lol. . . That means the Igbos whose hope of producing the next President under PDP was dashed, would also lose the Vice Presidential slot?! Chai. .Voters turnout in the Southeast in 2019 would be worse than that of 2015 and PDP suffers that!!

If they like, they should field Saraki, Dankwambo, Atiku and Tambuwal alone, Buhari is still gonna finish them in the North. Saraki and Atiku as it stands now, are perpetually unelectable as President of Nigeria. If not for Buhari's factor, Saraki would have lost his Senate return bid because the people of Kwara are tired of being caged by Saraki's family. Tambuwal and Dankwambo story na for another day!!

If Buhari decides not to re-contest come 2019, El-Rufai is there to dismantle all these people!!

BIAFRANS MUST SUPPORT THE ISLAMIZATION AND NORTHERNIZATION OF NIGERIA

squash1986:


But there is something individual interest and ambition, these two tendencies may come to play on these individuals. And before we forget, PDP is still big party which all these people were once part of.
Time will tell anyway, this might all just be speculations in the media so as to sell there papers in the market.

see atiku and obj can neva agree. We know where obj stand with pmb and it goes on to if pmb want 2nd term. Atiku and saraki together + dawambo can neva win pmb, saraki saved himself frm shame by nt contesting against pmb in primary but u saw atiku humilation. Pmb has and continuous to have a mouth jaw opening cult like followership in the north

We wish them all the best...

sandraokosun:
mark is overated his boundary end in benue south at most in benue as he couldnt even influence anything to make his co-senator in the central win. Germade defected to apc within weeks and akume won for him and also won his own. Dawanbo is a clown just like ribadu, they arent politicians. Ribadu couldnt win his adamawa in 2011. A dummy can never play politics and gej showed that . pdp is buried but we have to show its dumb supporters

I wouldn't say PDP is dead and buried if i were you. Don't forget, Buhari defeated the PDP with only 2 million votes and that is because PDP was not able to win one Northern State. Now If this information can be said to be true,then in my opinion,I will say that the arrangement of the party to zone the PDP presidential ticket to the North is very strategic and can pose a threat to the ruling party especially if one of these aforementioned candidates decides to run under the PDP platform because, these candidates enjoy wide support and influence in there States and regions.
Don't forget, PDP is still a big Party and a political force in Nigeria.

squash1986:


I wouldn't say PDP is dead and buried if i were you. Don't forget, Buhari defeated the PDP with only 2 million votes and that is because PDP was not able to win one Northern State. Now If this information can be said to be true,then in my opinion,I will say that the arrangement of the party to zone the PDP presidential ticket to the North is very strategic and can pose a threat to the ruling party especially if one of these aforementioned candidates decides to run under the PDP platform because, these candidates enjoy wide support and influence in there States and regions.
Don't forget, PDP is still a big Party and a political force in Nigeria.

I guess u are a pdp trying to console urself. Gmb won a sitting president with even two million votes at all is a miracle. The fct is bond to remain with any government of the day, pmb will retain every single state he won in the north, and cover the north central fully, he only lost nasarawa by a pin becos maku(apga) and pdp(incumbent power) joined hands. So u can see he would get 99% of north central now. Kogi (governor) u would see how it would fall to apc as in presidential. The north west is ready to die for pmb, is it kastina, kaduna is second home, kano that is inseperable frm kaduna. The whole north west. Also the whole northeast is his zone, he was their gov general b4. The only thing he would miss is maybe share the state of the pdp northern man. We saw how he gave muazu,sambo etc landslide in their own ward.

squash1986:


I wouldn't say PDP is dead and buried if i were you. Don't forget, Buhari defeated the PDP with only 2 million votes and that is because PDP was not able to win one Northern State. Now If this information can be said to be true,then in my opinion,I will say that the arrangement of the party to zone the PDP presidential ticket to the North is very strategic and can pose a threat to the ruling party especially if one of these aforementioned candidates decides to run under the PDP platform because, these candidates enjoy wide support and influence in there States and regions.
Don't forget, PDP is still a big Party and a political force in Nigeria.

None of these Candidates enjoy wide support and influence in the North more than Buhari. When Atiku wanted to install one of his stooges as the Governor of Adamawa where he supposedly comes from, his godson suffered defeat. He was humiliated by Bindow. That goes to show that Atiku is levelless in his Adamawa State let alone Northeast or other Northern States.

Mark only enjoys the support of the people of Benue South according to my sister, SandraOkosun. Saraki can't even stand Buhari in Kwara State because they are tired of him. I know of so many people who voted Buhari in Kwara but didn't vote Abdulfattah during the Gubernatorial Polls because they considered him as Saraki's stooge. Tambuwal can't even dare Buhari!!

Talking about PDP not able to win one Northern State, I guess Taraba, Nasarawa and Plateau are no longer situated in the North!!

sandraokosun:
I guess u are a pdp trying to console urself. Gmb won a sitting president with even two million votes at all is a miracle. The fct is bond to remain with any government of the day, pmb will retain every single state he won in the north, and cover the north central fully, he only lost nasarawa by a pin becos maku(apga) and pdp(incumbent power) joined hands. So u can see he would get 99% of north central now. Kogi (governor) u would see how it would fall to apc as in presidential. The north west is ready to die for pmb, is it kastina, kaduna is second home, kano that is inseperable frm kaduna. The whole north west. Also the whole northeast is his zone, he was their gov general b4. The only thing he would miss is maybe share the state of the pdp northern man. We saw how he gave muazu,sambo etc landslide in their own ward.

That Nasarawa Election was rigged in favour of Jonathan. If you listened to the Returning Officer from that State during the Collation of Result, you would discovered there was a place in Nasarawa where over 70,000 votes were cancelled. I heard most of those cancelled votes were for Buhari. The margin was not even that much!!

donphilopus:


None of these Candidates enjoy wide support and influence in the North more than Buhari. When Atiku wanted to install one of his stooges as the Governor of Adamawa where he supposedly comes from, his godson suffered defeat. He was humiliated by Bindow. That goes to show that Atiku is levelless in his Adamawa State let alone Northeast or other Northern States.

Mark only enjoys the support of the people of Benue South according to my sister, SandraOkosun. Saraki can't even stand Buhari in Kwara State because they are tired of him. I know of so many people who voted Buhari in Kwara but didn't vote Abdulfattah during the Gubernatorial Polls because they considered him as Saraki's stooge. Tambuwal can't even dare Buhari!!

Talking about PDP not able to win one Northern State, I guess Taraba, Nasarawa and Plateau are no longer situated in the North!!

true, we always tell them the reality just like b4 election 2015, but they think they stand a chance. The way pdp would loose more like the kogi state. My fear is they would just make the ride easy for pmb

sandraokosun:
true, we always tell them the reality just like b4 election 2015, but they think they stand a chance. The way pdp would loose more like the kogi state. My fear is they would just make the ride easy for pmb

It is a known fact that the APC governorship candidate Abubakar Audu is being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, of misappropriating N11 billion of the state’s funds while he was governor between 1999 and 2003. The APC came out to inform the public that if Mr Audu, should be elected as the governor,he will refund the N11 billion of the state's funds that he was accused of. Can you imagine what this party is telling Nigerians, do they think that the whole of Nigerians are dumb ass, if he is sincerely remorse and really want to refund the money just as what the APC are saying,what is stopping him and his party from returning this money now.
Please let me stress and correct this insinuation, that I am neither a PDP fan nor a fan of any Political Party in Nigeria, but a simple patriotic Nigerian who wishes his country well and feel that the right thing should be done always.
I would also like to point out one observation, that if Mr Audu should win this coming Kogi State election by merit,then I will conclude that what analyst have said about Nigerians of having up 65 million illiterates is indeed true and that a good proportion of these illeterates reside in Kogi State.
This is just my opinion.

squash1986:


It is a known fact that the APC governorship candidate Abubakar Audu is being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, of misappropriating N11 billion of the state’s funds while he was governor between 1999 and 2003. The APC came out to inform the public that if Mr Audu, should be elected as the governor,he will refund the N11 billion of the state's funds that he was accused of. Can you imagine what this party is telling Nigerians, do they think that the whole of Nigerians are dumb ass, if he is sincerely remorse and really want to refund the money just as what the APC are saying,what is stopping him and his party from returning this money now.
Please let me stress and correct this insinuation, that I am neither a PDP fan nor a fan of any Political Party in Nigeria, but a simple patriotic Nigerian who wishes his country well and feel that the right thing should be done always.
I would also like to point out one observation, that if Mr Audu should win this coming Kogi State election by merit,then I will conclude that what analyst have said about Nigerians of having up 65 million illiterates is indeed true and that a good proportion of these illeterates reside in Kogi State.
This is just my opinion.

trust me Nigeria politics unfortunately is not like usa. U dont get too many decent people getting at the end becos only the bad,strong,fetish ones can survive. Its a case of always choosing lesser evil. I hate audu, but idris is worst. Pmb anti corruption war can tame the apc govs who dont want to be balantly bringing an indictment to pmb while some pdp govs are dealt with. Most times the masses got no choice.

ricsman:
not surprised sha.


but surprised at the rate PDP belief APC will go down come 2019.

by the way thought PDP n SS said APC is a northern party so why give them the President again.

for now SS and SE are PDP

nigerians are PDP and in 2019 some of u will be surprised. Pdp remains on ground in all parts of this country. Apc is a Gang not a party!

BALLOSKI:
BUHARI till 2023 Insh a Allahu

YAMS, your mohammed will be roasting in hell while you are busy doing ablution

tuniski:
nigerians are PDP and in 2019 some of u will be surprised. Pdp remains on ground in all parts of this country. Apc is a Gang not a party!

Lol Lol

heard this during the election and was sure PDP will win but she didn't.

Utter rubbish!
If the APC continues to excel at its pace presently, I won't be surprised if the PDP adopts Buhari as it's presidential candidate come 2019. .. Metuh may even claim that the PDP discovered him before APC.

ricsman:

Lol Lol

heard this during the election and was sure PDP will win but she didn't.

losing is part of the options!

tuniski:
losing is part of the options!

yeah but many didn't believe it. the brag was too much even refusing to acknowledge the existence of the new APC

Day169:
Utter rubbish!
If the APC continues to excel at its pace presently, I won't be surprised if the PDP adopts Buhari as it's presidential candidate come 2019. .. Metuh may even claim that the PDP discovered him before APC.

Hahahahha ...... Metuh would also say they sent Jega "The card reader" idea in his dreams..

@ donphilopus @sandraokosun

Una don talk everything finish, anything else na wishful thinking, as 2015 do dem like film trick, 2019 go do be like summer blockbuster.....

PDP can not even survive for long, before december, you'll see how many from their side that will pledge allegiance & when some people collect fed appts u go see as story go change..

Remove saraki ok,b4 december saraki is goner ok.quote me and catch fire!!!

Atiku, Saraki, Tambawal and Mark... Dead on Arrival!

Sai Ribadu or Dankwambo or Shekarau.

There will be no PDP northern candidate in the 2019 elections. Akpabio, NOI or Mimiko.