By Dirisu Yakubu
Port Harcourt- The picture is getting clearer and uncertainties giving way to identity of the likely candidate delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP will pick to fly the flag of the party in the 2019 Presidential election.
The delegates drawn from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, met with the Presidential aspirants in a brief interface a few hours ago where age and pending court cases dominated discourse ahead of voting.
They were told in clear terms that the party would not afford the distractions court summons and trials would fetch the party and its candidate ahead of the 2019 polls.
This development, Sunday Vanguard gathered is likely to pave way for the emergence of Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal who at 52 is not only one of the youngest in the pack of the aspirants but also enjoys a constitutional immunity.
A delegate to the convention who craved anonymity told our correspondent that the decision was arrived at a meeting earlier on Saturday.
The Delta state delegate said, “I want to authoritatively tell you as an insider and a delegate to the PDP convention today (yesterday) in Port Harcourt that after a brief meeting with all the aspirants, age factor aand issues in court and with the Eeconomic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, were discussed. The consequences and challenges they portend for the party were also mentioned,” adding that at the end, “only Aminu (Tambuwal), Turaki (Tanimu)and Datti (Baba-Ahmed) stood out.”
He noted however that politics “being about self fish interest, Atiku Abubakar has what it take to confront President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.”
However at 71, Atiku may have to contend with the age factor as he is second on the log as immediate past Plateau state governor, Jonah Jang is first at 74 years old.
The duo of Senator David Mark and Mallam Sule Lamido are both 70 years old while Attahiru Bafarawa is 63, a year older than Ahmed Makarfi who is 62.
Former Kano state governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso is 61, same as Tanimu Turaki. Gombe state governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo is 56 years old, a year older than Senate President, Bukola Saraki who is 55.
The youngest in the pack is the founder of Baze University and a former lawmaker, Datti Baba-Ahmed who is 49. However, the PhD holder in Economics is seen as unlikely to beat others to the ticket considering his political visibility and structures across the country compared to others in the race.
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2018/10/2019-age-court-cases-to-determine-pdp-presidential-candidate/
