A report indicates that the battle for who succeeds Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, as chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has commenced.
According to the report, three governors from the northern part of the country are gearing up to contest the position, when it becomes vacant.
The governors are Samuel Ortom from Benue, Aminu Tambuwal from Sokoto and Darius Ishaku from Taraba. While Ortom is from north-central, Tambuwal is from the northwest, while Ishaku is from the northeast.
Governor Dickson is expected to vacate office in February and is expected to hand over to one of his northern colleagues as the role is rotated between southern and northern governors.
Political watchers say the occupant is expected to be a critical factor in the next presidential election in 2023.
The three governors are said to be lobbying intensely to become the next chairman of the PDP governors and their aspiration is already generating tension.
It is widely believed that there is a subtle understanding among key actors in the two leading political parties that the next president of the country would be chosen from former governors.
The PDP Governors Forum chairman is seriously in contention for the 2023 presidency, as the governors are believed to control the delegates and are also the major financiers of the party.
2023 in mind as Ortom, Tambuwal, Ishaku, battle for PDP governors' chairman
There are 15 governors currently elected on the platform of the PDP and the forum as a powerful bloc, is a formidable force in the party, especially for the second term governors, who still nurse future political ambitions.
Sokoto state governor Tambuwal seems to have the brightest chance of the three as he is the current deputy chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum, the main umbrella body of the 36 governors in Nigeria.
“If he becomes the next chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, coupled with the fact that he was Speaker of the House of Representatives for four years, then, he would be unstoppable in his presidential quest in 2023,” a source said.
However, many believe it might not be in former vice president, Atiku Abubakar’s interest for Tambuwal to emerge the next chairman of PDP governors’ forum. Atiku was the PDP presidential candidate for the 2019 election and it is believed he is still interested in the position in 2023.
“It is obvious both Atiku and Tambuwal still have their eyes on the presidential job,” the source added.
Meanwhile, Delta state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, recently described Tambuwal as a politician to look out for in the future.
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