EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Govs Shema, Idris, Dankwambo tipped for PDP chair

With the zoning of the National Chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the North, leaders of the party have tipped three former governors for the top job.

The former governors being tipped for the PDP National Chairmanship are: Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Ibrahim Idris (Kogi) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe).

Competent sources told The Star that Northern caucus of the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC) met at the Bauchi State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja on Thursday night to agree on modalities for the choice of a consensus candidate.

At the meeting, Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Bala Muhammed, and Darius Ishaku (Taraba) reportedly kicked against having their states producing the PDP National Chairman. But Governor Samuel Ortom made attempt to sell the candidacy of former Senate President and one-time Minister of Education, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

Ayu’s choice as a consensus candidate was resisted as the Benue governor was told that there were other solid candidates who have shown interest in the job.

The Star learnt that the Northern PDP leaders agreed that the three zones should produce one candidate each ahead of another meeting scheduled to hold next Wednesday.

Sources told this newspaper that former Governors Shema and Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna) are battling for the North-West slot. Makarfi once led a caretaker committee of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

In the North-East, Dankwambo, a former Gombe governor and one-time Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), is slugging it out with the incumbent Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Suleiman Nazif, for the North-East slot.

For the North-Central, former Kogi State governor, Idris, is contending with former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana.

Insiders at the meeting told The Star that the three lucky candidates from the three Northern zones will face shadow election on Wednesday. The eventual winner will be presented as a consensus candidate at the October 30 national convention.

“It is believed that the likely candidates from the three zones are Ibrahim Shema for North-West, Ibrahim Idris from North-Central and Ibrahim Dankwambo for North-East,” a source familiar with the permutations told our Correspondent.

The PDP NEC had on Thursday approved the zoning of its next national chairman to the Northern part of the country.

The NEC considered and adopted Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led Zoning Committee’s report.

The committee had recommended that the current elective National Working Committee (NWC) positions in the party should be swapped between the North and the South.

At present, the South produces the National Chairman while the North produces the National Secretary. Both the North and the South have Deputy National Chairmen.