Ahead of October 6 Presidential convention of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, slated for Port Harcourt, some aspirants are not comfortable with the use of the Rivers state capital for the all-important event.
The aspirants, Vanguard gathered, are demanding an alternative venue.
It would be recalled that last Thursday, when the PDP governors and the National Working Committee, NWC, of the party held a meeting with the aspirants, the governors had picked Port Harcourt, ditching Enugu and Akwa Ibom, on the excuse that Port Harcourt had more hotel space than the two states.
In that meeting held at Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, the governors had also kicked against consensus option, preferring the use of primary election to pick the flag bearer.
It was further gathered that in the meeting, one of the aspirants, Atiku Abubakar had questioned the rationale in the choice of Port Harcourt.
A source close to the PDP Governors’ Forum and the aspirants said “They are asking for a different venue. Among the venues being considered are Lagos, Delta and Akwa Ibom,” the source said.
The 13 presidential aspirants vying for the PDP presidential ticket include Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President; Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto State Governor; Ibrahim Dankwambo, Gombe State Governor; Bukola Saraki, Senate President; Sule Lamido, former governor of Jigawa State; his Ahmed Makarfi, Kaduna state counterpart; and Tanimu Turaki, a former Special Duties Minister.
Others include David Mark, former President of the Senate; Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State; Attahiru Bafarawa, ex- governor of Sokoto state; Jonah Jang, a former Plateau State governor; Senator Datti Baba-Ahmed, ex-lawmaker, and Stanley Osifo.
