See Names Of 16 Northerners Trying To Take Over Tukur's Job

At the last count, 16 top shots of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are in the race to succeed Alhaji Bamanga Tukur as national chairman of the party.

The Presidency is already running a security check on each of them.

Those seeking the position include former Bauchi State governor, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu; ex-Police Affairs Minister, Alhaji Maina Waziri; Alhaji Musa Babayo; Alhaji Gambo Lawan, Alhaji Idris Waziri; Transport Minister, Alhaji Idris Umar; Senatpr Abubakar Mahdi; Senator Abba Aji; Alhaji Habu Fari; Alhaji Shettima Mustapha;Wakilin Adamawa, Alhaji Hassan Adamu; Alhaji Rufa Alkali; Alhaji Ibrahim Bunu; Alhaji Mohammed Wakil; Alhaji Aliyu Idi Hong and Mr. Hassan Kafayus.

Most of them are from the North-East, same as Tukur who threw in the towel on Thursday.

Many of the aspirants, sources said yesterday, have been sending emissaries to lobby President Goodluck Jonathan; First Lady Patience Jonathan; Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih; PDP governors and members of the National Working Committee(NWC) for support.

But the President and his strategy team, headed by Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State, have restrained from making any commitment to the aspirants.

The strategy team is understood to be conducting covert security checks on most of the aspirants to avoid making a ‘wrong choice.’

It was gathered that stakeholders from Adamawa State want the position to be retained by the state, but there is fierce competition from Borno, Yobe and Gombe states. The three states are alleging marginalization in the party.

Those from Borno-Yobe axis are arguing that the quickest way to checkmate the opposition’s grip on some states in the North-East is for either state to produce the next PDP chairman.

Aspirants from the axis are Adamu Mu’azu; Adamu Maina Waziri; the Chairman of TETFUND, Musa Babayo; a former National Chairman of Grassroots Democratic Movement, Gambo Lawan; ex-Minister of Commerce, Idris Waziri; the incumbent Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar; Senator Abubakar Mahdi; Senator Abba Aji; a former National Chairman of NDP, Habu Fari; a former member of the House of Representatives, Mohammed Wakil; a former Minister of Defende, Shettima Mustapha; former Ambassador to the US, Dr. Hassan Adamu; former National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Prof. Rufai Alkali; Ibrahim Bunu; a former PDP Chairman in Yobe State, Hassan Kafayus; and a former Minister of State for Health, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong

A source said the security check was meant to ensure the emergence of the right person for the office.

“The party will not just repeat the mistake of the Tukur era,” the source stressed.

He added: “As the aspirants are emerging, there are also issues about their suitability for the job. You cannot take a bet on an individual without checking his or her antecedents.

“This is why security checks are important. Some of them know that they have moral burden that will inhibit their emergence as PDP National Chairman.”

A member of the President Strategy Team said: “We are actually thinking of sourcing a new chairman from Borno-Yobe axis for some strategic reasons. We hope it will work for the success of the party in 2015.

“The search team is very strong on Mohammed Wakil, Senator Abba Aji and Gambo Lawan from Borno and Adamu Maina Waziri and Kafayus.There are some ethnic observations on Abba Aji which we are looking into. I won’t give you the details because desperate politicians can do anything.

“There are also allegations of some aspirants being loyal to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. We may need to watch our back too.”

Sources described the current situation as “a bit challenging” which makes consensus difficult for now.

It was also gathered that there would be no compromise on the seven criteria to be used in picking Tukur’s replacement.

These are:

•Being a committed democrat and team player

•Rich experience in politics and party administration

•Ability to reconcile aggrieved members of the party

•Readiness to reorder PDP for electoral victory in 2015 in at least 25 to 28 states

•A good listener who will have respect for all organs of the party

•Must be a political asset and not a liability to PDP

•A candidate who will ensure free and fair primaries

President Jonathan is expected to have the last say in the matter, for as a Presidency source said: ”At the end of the day, the President will have a significant say on who he can work with as the National Chairman of PDP.”