Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Monday, said that the reason for pushing for having a consensus candidate among the presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party was to reduce the rancour in the process of getting the party’s flagbearer.
Saraki stated this in Makurdi when he led two other presidential aspirants on the platform of the PDP and governors of Sokoto and Bauchi States, Aminu Tambuwal and Bala Mohammed respectively, to Benue State.
Saraki said that the team would be meeting the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, later today (Monday) on the mission to find a consensus among the number of presidential aspirants.
The former Kwara State governor said that their visit to the state was to inform the governor, Samuel Ortom, who is a critical stakeholder, of their mission and purpose.
Saraki said, “I’m here today with two brothers, the governor of Sokoto State, Tambuwal and, of course, the governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, as part of the ongoing consultation of the three of us who have shown indication to aspire for presidency under our great party.
“On our own about a couple of weeks ago, we felt that, in the interest of our great party, we should be able to come together and find a consensus candidate among us.
“Our interest is very little compared to our country at this time, which is at a very defining moment. I believe only our party can rescue this country from where it is today and those of us who are aspiring are committed to ensure that we find somebody who will unite us, whom we will all support.
“That’s a better way to unite the party and reduce the rancour in the process. To do that, we must also carry along key stakeholders of the party, leaders like yourself, and that’s why we are here today.
“The seriousness comes from our total belief in the unity of our party. All of us are eminently qualified to lead this country; it’s about us ensuring that we put the country first and that is why we are here.
Responding, Governor Ortom said that, in spite of his belief in a Southern presidency, “the decision of the party on where presidency should be zoned to takes pre-eminence.”
He appreciated the team for coming up with the consensus idea and submitted that it is high time Nigerians supported younger people.
“Any person beyond 70 years should not be looking for presidency. These are people, today, we are in computer age and these three gentlemen you see here are computer literate and they have the capacity.
“We cannot continue to be in the analogue. How many of you were alive in 1930 or 1945? During the Second World War, how many of you were born that time? Even me, I was born in 1961. So, the world has changed, we are now in the digital world and we must computerise and digitise governance too,” Ortom said.
