The next Presidential election in Nigeria would be held in 2023, and many political Aspirants are already playing the 2023 politics, even from 2019.
However, the unattempted question is who in particular would emerge as the respective flag bearers for the main political parties, in an election which many have foretold would be interesting.
While the All Progressives Congress, APC, has come out optimistic about zoning its Presidential slot to the South, with a Northern running mate, the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has been silent concerning the 2023 Presidency in general.
Last month, after much buzz and rumours surrounding which political zone in the country the party’s Presidential Candidate would emerge from, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, was forced to call for an emergency Press Conference. He told Reporters that the PDP is yet to discuss the 2023 Presidential election.
That is however, not the view of the Chairman, Board of Trustees, BoT, of the PDP, Senator Walid Jibrin, who recently hinted that the party will soon commence high-level consultations and search for a credible Candidate, to fly the party’s flag for the 2023 Presidency.
The key party men might try to deviate the minds of the public away from this raised question, but one fact is certain, that the internal lobbying for the 2023 stake, started just after the party’s loss in the 2019 Presidential election.
Observers have sighted Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, as one who will attempt to play a key role in deciding the fortunes of who the Presidential ticket of his party for the 2023 election, will fall to.
Various national dailies had reported how the two term Governor had bankrolled the campaign of the PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, when he sought for Office, which the latter won comfortably.
Before the 2019 polls, it was also reported of how the Governor single-handedly dragged the PDP National Convention to his State, with the hope of ensuring his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal, got the Presidential ticket.
However, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, was witty with his money, as he clitched the ticket, haven secured the highest votes.
Wike is said to be pushing for a North-East Presidential ticket, in which he would be paired as running mate to Aminu Tambuwal, who he openly supported at the Port Harcourt Convention.
Meanwhile, several other reports have revealed that circles within the PDP camp, are displeased with the influence the Rivers State Governor is generating in the party.
They backed their claim on how Kingsley Chinda, the PDP’s chosen Candidate supported by Wike, was defeated by Ndudi Elumelu, who is purportedly said to be backed by these ‘second term Governors’, to emerge as the House of Representatives Minority Leader.
The activities of Governor Nyesom Wike and his perceived measure to control the party’s machinery, is not far off from a 2023 Presidency plot.