PDP Primary: What Tambuwal told Ayu, Saraki, Bala Mohammed before stepping down for Atiku

On Sunday, the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, described the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, as the hero of the party’s presidential convention where on Saturday a former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, was elected the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.

Mr Ayu was referring to the stepping down of Mr Tambuwal for Atiku shortly before voting started, a development observers said decisively swung the contest and saved the party the tension of a close race and possible deadlock.

Findings indicate that Mr Ayu was one of three persons the governor consulted on the convention ground before he made the announcement.

The governor had, like other aspirants, taken his five minutes slot to address delegates during which he appealed to them to vote for him.

But after the last aspirant spoke, Mr Tambuwal suddenly rose from his seat, called a former governor from the north-central, and calmly walked with him to one of the northern aspirants, Bala Mohammed, to inform the Bauchi governor that he had come to a decision to step down for Atiku.

According to a party official who attended the convention, a bewildered Mr Mohammed, apparently shocked, stared at his colleague governor and his witness for a moment, before regaining his composure to demand from Mr Tambuwal the reason for the last-minute decision.

According to the source, Mr Mohammed tried to dissuade the Sokoto governor but the latter told him that his mind was made up and that there was no going back.

After the exchange, Mr Tambuwal walked to where former Kwara Governor, Bukola Saraki, was seated and gave him the same message.

A witness said Mr Saraki’s countenance also changed in surprise, before he later responded by claiming that the two of them had agreed between themselves to step down only for each other, meaning that the Sokoto governor should rather withdraw for him (Mr Saraki).

“But Tambuwal responded by saying there was no such agreement and that he had considered all factors and made up his mind to shelve his own ambition and throw his weight behind Atiku,” our source said.

Immediately after his conversation with Mr Saraki, Mr Tambuwal immediately dashed to where Mr Ayu was seated, a witness said. He then told the party chairman he was quitting and that he had put his two other colleagues (Messrs Saraki and Mohammed) on notice.
Mr Ayu reportedly sighed in relief and patted Mr Tambuwal on the back. The Chairperson of the party’s convention committee was then notified that the Sokoto governor had an important message to deliver to delegates before the commencement of voting.

The governor then returned to the stage to announce his withdrawal from the race, saying he was doing so as a patriotic duty to his party and country.

Before his sudden withdrawal from the contest, Mr Tambuwal was said to believe he had support from a majority of party leaders and delegates in six of the seven North-West states (Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa, Katsina and Kaduna) as well as from Imo, Taraba, Anambra, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo and Benue and therefore in pole position to win the primary with sprinkles of votes from other states of the federation.

The North-West had the largest number of delegates (193) and Mr Tambuwal banked on this in considering himself one of the frontrunners until he asked delegates to switch their votes to Atiku.

With the Sokoto governor’s last-minute support for his candidature, Atiku overwhelmed Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike (371 votes to 237 votes) to clinch the party’s presidential ticket.

Mr Wike later said Mr Tambuwal’s withdrawal and speech to delegates as voting was about to begin violated the convention’s “procedures and guidelines.”

“I have never seen how people can violate procedures and guidelines,” the Rivers State governor said. “Somebody had spoken, it is only at that point he was speaking that he can say I have withdrawn. You don’t call him back.

“I just decided that this our party must not be destroyed. I would have left where I was sitting down and say this convention cannot go ahead except you allow me to talk. I would have flattened him.”