A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party and close ally of Nyesom Wike, the immediate former Governor of Rivers State, Ogbonna Nwuke has stated that the PDP choice of candidate can not determine who will win the coming minority leadership election in the red chamber.
The former member of the House of Representatives who stated this while reacting to the alleged PDP nomination of the immediate former Governor of Sokoto State as the party’s choice for the position of the minority leader of the 10th assembly, said the popularity of a candidate would determine if he wins, not the party endorsement.
He stated that the party needs to understand the dynamics of the game, noting that the party cannot deny other members who also have an interest in the position, the right to contest for it.
PDP had allegedly chosen Tambuwal during a meeting held by 7 members of the party’s National Working Committee and 25 out of the 36 Senators, elected on the platform of the party, at the party’s National Headquarters in Abuja on Monday.
However, Nwuke, who claimed that the leadership of the party was working against precedents, said those who chose Tambuwal did it in their own right but, it does not determine what will happen at the election.
“We have heard that the PDP or a group of persons acting in the name of the party has nominated the former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal as the official candidate for the position of minority leader in the 10th Senate.
“Of course, those who are projecting Tambuwal as the one to represent the PDP interest acted well within their rights either as individuals or a group.
“But what is instructive as we get ready for a vote is the precedence that has been laid previously in the Red and Green Chambers as well.
“Those who have won in the past had done so obasebasedeon their clarity among their colleagues, not necessarily on the dictates of a party platform or the plot of a group of persons acting in the name of a party,” he stated.
According to him, Bukola Saraki emerged as the Senate President under former president Muhammadu Buhari against the choice of the All Progressives Congress
“He was not the choice of the APC leadership that he was part of.
“He garnered the majority votes and sat pretty in office.
The PDP Chieftain who stated that those who nominated Tambuwal did not consider the choice of other party members and the choice of other opposition parties before doing so, said Tambuwal himself and Ndidi Elemelu are good examples of those who contested against their party’s choice of the candidates the national assembly, and they won.
“Ndudi Elumelu is also a recent example. He was not the choice of the PDP machine but he was elected minority leader of the House of Representatives. The heavens did not fall.
“The PDP has interests. Those outside of the PDP who belong to other parties have their interests, at the end of the day, those who enjoy the support of their colleagues will be elected into majority and minority positions.
“As a person, Tambuwal will discover how popular the decision to field him is at this point on the floor,” he added.
