2019 Presidential Ticket: Saraki Finally Declares Intention to Join the Presidential Race

2019 Presidential Ticket: Saraki Finally Declares Intention to Join the Presidential Race

Zainab Tanimu

Kaduna North-West, NIGERIA

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki has finally declared his intention to run for the 2019 presidential ticket. This grows the number of aspirants contesting under the platform of People’s Democratic Party. (PDP).

With this declaration, Saraki will slug it out with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, , ex-Governor Ahmed Makarfi; Ex Kano state Governor,  Kwanwaso,  ex-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau; ex-Governor Sule Lamido,  ex-Minister Tanimu Turaki; and others.

This scenario some political analysts have described as very dicey despite the popular saying of, ‘the more, the merrier.’

The argument is that, with the present political atmosphere where so many dynamics come to play and the fact that these aspirants contesting under the PDP for this one position are made up of ‘money bags’ has call to mind some burning questions.

One of such questions which is, who would step down for who?  And what is the guarantee that whoever emerges the lucky one at the primaries would get the backings of others considering the fact that some of these big-wigs have a long lingering ambition of becoming the president of Nigeria.

This scenario many political observers see as going to heat up the polity and could be an advantage for the ruling party.

Investigation however reveals that the camp of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is been taken aback by Saraki’s sudden interest in the presidential race.

Despite the on-going buhaha,  a group of political watchers and ‘die-hard’ Buhari loyalists are said to have remained unshaken and resolute that no amount of gimmicks by the opposition would deter them from ensuring that President Buhari comes to power come 2019.

To them, Buhari needs no campaign as his integrity they say speaks volumes even beyond Nigeria.

However, political experts are not unaware  of the fact that the ruling party would have to work hard on some areas of contentions in some states which could pose some dangers in their quest to overcoming the pressure being mounted by the opposition PDP which waxes stronger as the days pass by in some states.

The recent adoption of the use of direct primaries in the emergence of candidates by the National Working Committee of the All Progressive Party, APC is seen as a source of worries for the fact that it is likely not to work in favor of some candidates.

A point in mind is that of Kaduna state where unhealthy relationship exists between Governor El-Rufai and the Senator representing Kaduna Central at the Upper Chambers, Senator Shehu Sani which they foresee could be a minus for the party.

Senator Sani has been described as a strong force in Kaduna politics and therefore should not be undermined despite the pronouncement of the use of direct primaries; for, he is a man of the people.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has charged party leaders to be just and fear during the primaries.