Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal said presidential aspirants in the Party’s Democratic Party, PDP, have all agreed to work together to lower the tension building up within the party and the country at large.
The governor stated this shortly after meeting with former heads of state, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar at their Uphill residences in Minna, Niger state.
The governor noted, “First it’s about this country, it’s not about personal ambition or that of individuals. It is not either Bukola Saraki, or Aminu Tambuwal or Bala Mohammed. We have agreed on the need to lower the tension and make sure that we work as a team”
On the zoning arrangement within the party, the Sokoto state governor said the zoning arrangement adopted by the PDP in 1999 was to assuage concern over June 12 raised by the political class then and midwified by the federal government, adding that in the political history of Nigeria there was .nothing like zoning.
Tambuwal, however, noted that presently, the PDP is not really worried about zoning, but how to work to enable it win the presidential election next year.
He stated, ” the south, in particular, the south-west in 1998, 1999, the APP, alongside AD worked out a ticket that saw the emergence of Chief Olu Falae and Umaru Shinkafi in 1999, it was a deliberate plan by the political class of this country midwified by the government in the center to address a particular concern, the June 12.”
“The power shift in 1998, 1999 to south-west was to assuage a particular situation. Go back to the history of democracy in Nigeria, in 1979, NPN had president Shehu Shagari, NPP had chief Azikiwe, UPN had chief Awolowo, GNPP had Ibrahim Waziri and PRP had Aminu Kano, there was no zoning. When you go back to 1992,1993 , SDP had Chief Abiola, NRC had Bashir Tofa, Even in 1999 Abubakar Rimi contested even in the PDP, and in 2003, people contested against Obasanjo for his second term. Rochas Okorocha contested along side late Umar Yaradua and Mohammed Gusau contested in 2007.”
Debunking the comment credited to him that the south-south cannot rule now, the former speaker house of Representatives said, “I have supported a south-south candidate in Nigeria, Good luck Ebele Jonathan in 2011 and he won the election. So, how can I who had supported the south-south say the it cannot rule. How can I who has supported south-south now say the south-south can not produce the president of Nigeria.
The presidential aspirant stated that if elected as president in 2023, he would evolve various ways to address the security situation facing the nation such as establishing the state police, increasing manpower as well as deploying technology to tackle the issue.
The presidential aspirant further explained that he was in Niger state to consult and seek the blessings of the two former Nigerian leaders, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and General Abdulsalami Alhaji Abubakar over his ambition.