Former Head of State, retired General Ibrahim Babangida joined other elder statesmen who have been playing advisory roles in guiding the opposition political parties in the prepa5ations of the 2019 general elections. It is within this context that the former Head of State during a consultation meeting in Minna with the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who was in Niger State to consult the former leader on the party’s decisions under consideration on the presidential candidate, cautioned Secondus and PDP that they must not impose any presidential candidate on PDP members. The former leader admonished that Secondus and the PDP leadership must eschew from any process that would not allow party members decide who flies PDP ticket in the 2019 presidential election. IBB had insisted that transparent election where party members freely make their choice is the only way PDP can move forward in the 2019 elections.
IBB has been hosting several PDP leaders and aspirants for various tickets of the opposition party who go to him for consultation and advice.
Atiku was there, Saraki and others have been there too, including Obasanjo and Danjuma.
Unseating Buhari has been a major task the PDP has to bear and the elder statesmen have been intervening to ensure the party goes into the 2019 general elections united and stronger.
Besides former President Olusegun Obasanjo who has openly thrown himself into the ring fighting to unseat Buhari in 2019, other elders statesmen and retired Generals have been intervening from the sideline, except, however, T.Y. Danjuma.
Dr. Obasanjo had earlier attacked Secondus, warning him that he was getting too close to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, a leading presidential aspirant for the PDP ticket. Obasanjo has for long not been comfortable with Atiku’s candidacy for the presidential poll and has been doing everything within his reach to stop the former vice president, who National Daily was told has taken to his faith on the Obasanjo matter.
PDP leaders have been considering endorsing a consensus candidate for the 2019 presidential election from a list of about 10 aspirants.
Some of the aspirants include Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, former President of the Senate, David Mark, former Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, Saminu Turaki SAN, President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, former Caretaker Committee National Chairman, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State and Atiku.