2019: PDP begins search for presidential candidate

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has commenced profiling of its 2019 presidential aspirants in order to ‎have the best candidate at the party's primaries yet to be scheduled.

 

The party is making efforts to settle for a formidable, dogged and credible party chieftain who has the clout and acceptability to face the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the next general polls.

‎Speaking on Tuesday, while receiving members of the PDP Ward to Ward group in Abuja, the party's Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin said the search was extended to those who left the party in the past.

Senator Jibrin who described the return of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to the PDP as a good omen also called on former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Senate  President Bukola Saraki ‎and many others who left the party to return. 

The BoT called on party supporters across the country to play key roles towards ensuring that only a credible stalwart was fielded as the party's presidential candidate.

“All of us as a party agreed that the President of Nigeria should come from the North. I enjoin you to support the North to bring and give you a very capable President, not a never-do-well President but a good, qualitative President.

“We are all doing what we can in the North with all the leaders to identify who is the best candidate to rule this country, the best person that will take away power from the ruling party. Because 2019 is our own. 2019 is for the PDP.

“The return of Atiku to this party, whether we like it or not, is a good omen for the party. By boldly coming back to his home, it is a good omen.

“We are therefore calling on the Senate President Bukola Saraki, Kwankwaso and all our former legislators who left this party to come back quickly. When they come back, then we shall together take a look at the issue of leadership. The issue of who wants to become the President of Nigeria will now depend on all of us. We all will decide who will be the President of Nigeria," Senator Jibrin said.

Chairperson of the PDP Ward to Ward, Hon. Ada Fredrick‎  also assured that the group would rely on the BoT at all time in its bid to mobilize Nigerians of all walks of life to return to the PDP in order to reclaim power in 2019.