PDP Presidential Primaries: Atiku, Wike Set To Overpower Other Aspirants

As the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) conducts the Presidential primaries today, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar are in a tight race to clinch the PDP’s presidential ticket.

The fate of the two major contenders would be determined even as 13 aspirants jostling for the presidential ticket of the opposition party in the 2023 polls will submit themselves for an assessment today in Abuja.

A total of 811 ad hoc delegates of the party will determine who would click the ticket among the 13 aspirants but only four are going in strongly.

NEWSFLASH NIGERIA understands that the PDP’s presidential race looks likely to be a tight race between Atiku Abubakar and Nyesom Wike.

The victory of either of the two will depend on a last-minute alliance which is most likely to happen.

Candidates such as Ayodele Fayose, a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dele Momodu, Anyim Pius Anyim and a host of others may have a good bargain with top contestants. Such last minutes resolve could swing votes for top contenders.

Though, only four aspirants; Atiku Abubakar, Nyesom Wike, Bukola Saraki, and Aminu Tambuwal have been able to take their campaigns to all parts of the country following the resources available to them.

In Nigeria, taking one’s campaign to delegate depends largely on the number of resources available to an aspirant.

While this fact has worked for some of the aspirants in the race for the party’s ticket, it has worked against the majority of them.

READ ALSO: PDP presidential primaries: How 811 delegates may vote today

Analysts have termed politics at the delegates’ level as “money politics.”

Besides the popularity of the aspirant, his financial strength counts largely for him.

One of the reasons, according to politicians and analysts is that such a candidate is expected to tour the entire country within a limited time in order to have crucial meetings with delegates in an effort to convince them.

How each aspirant stands ahead of the primaries:

Atiku Abubakar

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has not lost his popularity among PDP delegates yet.

Besides being a former Vice President, this is his third shot at the position.

While this may work for him, it will in some ways work against him because of the campaign for a Southern president.

The incumbent president, though from the All Progressives Congress, APC, is from the north. If PDP gives the ticket to Mr Abubakar, the chances that the party will win the general election will become so slim.

READ ALSO: 2023: Bamisile defeats Fayemi candidate for APC Reps ticket

Also, as the delegates go about making their choices for the party, age remains another factor in consideration knowing so well that one of the issues Nigerians will consider in the general election is the age of the aspirants.

These reasons may expectedly count against the former Vice President.

But besides the above reasons, Abubakar has the financial strength and the experienced needed to sway delegates to his side.

The former Vice President had travelled across all the states of the federation, reaching out to delegates and talking with state governors and stakeholders about his ambition.

Atiku is likely to win the majority of the delegates’ votes from his home state, Adamawa, even though Wike had met the state governor severally to whittle down Atiku’s popularity in the state.

He is expected to garner reasonable votes from Northern delegates, even though Tambuwal, Saraki and Wike may share part of the votes.

Running against fellow Northerners like Saraki who supported him in the last election and Tambuwal who is a governor from the region appears to have affected his popularity.

But Atiku has the experience and the financial strength to turn things around for himself.

Nyesom Wike

One of the strongest contenders in today’s primaries is Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

Wike who supported Governor Aminu Tambuwal in the 2019 primaries which were won by Atiku Abubakar has been very clear in his support for a southern president.

Governor Wike, as the current Governor of Rivers State, has the needed resources around him to win delegates to his side.

Wike’s relationship with PDP governors and senators appears to be working for him as he has penetrated most parts of the north to drag delegates with core-northerners to his camp.

The Rivers state governor is one of the most outspoken aspirants in the race and has shown financial capacity with his consultations across the country.

Back in the south, Wike has no serious challenger. This is because a former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi has since pulled out of the race and moved to the Labour Party.

Wike has boasted severally that he is the most qualified of all the aspirants.

The determination and the zeal displayed by the governor during his consultations have given him added advantage over other aspirants.

The Rivers State Governor is expected to win delegates from even the home states of other aspirants like Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Saraki, and the majority of the states in the south.

Contestants from the south including former senate president, Anyim Pius Anyim are no serious challenge to him considering their poor outings during the consultation stage.

Bukola Saraki

One thing working for the former Senate President and ex-Kwara state Governor is his financial strength and the relationship he has built with the party leadership.

Also, Saraki’s relationship with the youths is an advantage, but that won’t count as far as delegates’ election is concerned.

While the former Senate president may likely win a majority of the votes from Kwara delegates, running with other northern aspirants will count against him.

Saraki may not have the popularity of Atiku Abubakar but has done enough during his consultations. He is one of the candidates endorsed by a northern group.

He is expected to pull a great show at the primaries and may likely team up with other aspirants who may step down for him.

In all, Saraki may not be able to meet the ‘firepower of Atiku and Wike today.

Aminu Tambuwal

Aminu Tambuwal, the governor of Sokoto state was able to do serious consultations across the state of the federation.

Tambuwal and his team had toured both the north and the south and are to win reasonable party delegates.

One thing that is working for him is his position as a governor of a state in the north (Sokoto).

He is expected to share majorly in the votes from the north but may perform poorly in the south.

Working against him in this very primaries is that Wike who supported his aspiration in 2019 is in the race. This obviously will deny him reasonable delegates from the south.

Another thing working against his aspiration is the Atiku and Saraki factor.

This could put him at a near disadvantage position as he looks likely to be the weakest of the 3 northern heavyweights.

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