Bafarawa warns against picking candidate by consensus, says it’s Illegal, anti-democracy
As the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), primaries is fast approaching, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, presidential aspirant has described the consensus arrangement to pick party’s candidate in any election as illegal.
The former Governor of Sokoto State who described the act as anti-democracy and totally condemned it, hereby appealled that people should be allowed to choose who should represent and govern them at all level of political positions.
Bafarawa stated this during consultation with the Edo State chapter of the party in Benin-City, on Wednesday, where he warned against vote buying during the party’s convention.
He hinted that the main thrust of all the PDP’s presidential aspirants was to get the ruling All Progressives Congress led Federal Government out of power at the 2019 general elections.
Furthermore, he noted that the large number of the party’s presidential aspirants was a demonstration that the party is growing big, and being the only authentic party in the country. He added that the aspirants have all agreed to support whoever get the presidential ticket.
He said: “I believe we have already agreed that whoever gets the ticket, we are going to work together with him. Forget the number of aspirants. The number of aspirants showed that the party is growing big, and the only party in the country.
“Forget limited and liability party, but ours is public limited company. So, you expect the shareholders to be many. The number of aspirants is not something to fear or worry about. We are together, we are united and our main common objective is to get APC out of power because it is a disaster.
“If we allow the party to remain in power in the next four years, I believe there will be no Nigeria. We want to unite our country. Therefore, we the aspirants have already unite ourselves for a common goal.”
On the issue of consensus, the presidential candidate hopeful opined that since all the aspirants have collected forms, there should be no moral justification for the party not to go for indirect primary.
According to him, we are not going to change our constitution. Consensus is for APC, but ours is indirect primary. Since the party has sold forms to all the aspirants because we are all qualified, and there is nobody the party can say is not qualified. It is now left for the party’s delegates to decide. Once delegates decide, there is nothing anybody can do.
However, he promised to initiate programmes to rerun the country to enviable position of African economic hub and global player in international relations and diplomacy, overhaul education, health, economy, agriculture, infrastructure, Defence and security among others when emerged the president of the country.
In his response, the state chairman of the party, Dan Orbih commended the presidential aspirant on his good governance while serving as governor of Sokoto State. “The state’s delegates will join comity of states that will ensure that the best aspirant emerged the party’s presidential flag bearer.”
