The PDP presidential primary will be lit and we are here for all of that

When PDP chieftains, faithful and delegates converge on Abuja for their presidential primary election on the weekend of October 5 and 6, expect fireworks, plenty of drama, a few punches and security personnel having their hands full.

Those of us who follow the nation’s politics really can’t wait. It's about to go down, as they say.

The reason why the build-up to the PDP presidential primary election will be more keenly contested and followed than that of the governing APC, is simple really. Unless something very catastrophic happens, Muhammadu Buhari will be the APC presidential flagbearer come the February 2019 general election. It’s not so cut and dry in the PDP where a host of big name presidential aspirants are jostling for the party’s ticket ahead of the challenge with Buhari.

Senate President Bukola Saraki’s defection to the PDP has only made the political space a lot more interesting. Saraki has been setting up his presidential stall rather nicely and he’s told Bloomberg that he’s the man to bring change to Nigeria as president. Asides Saraki, there is Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former Kaduna Governor Ahmed Makarfi, former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, Gombe Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and even Ekiti Governor Ayodele Fayose whose pains from the Ekiti governorship election should have eased by the time of the primary contest.

Between now and October, there’ll be plenty of horse trading in the PDP, deals will be cut, many will get angry and threaten fire and brimstone, some PDP chieftains will get so aggrieved they will threaten the party with a return to the APC, many contenders will retreat behind the shadows to lick their wounds and several camps will emerge from within Nigeria’s major opposition party, badly bruised and dejected.

At the end of the day, I expect the PDP presidential contest to come down to a two-horse race between Saraki and Atiku. Now 71 years of age, this could be Atiku’s last chance to become president of Nigeria—an office he’s been gunning for since 1993. Atiku must have been cursing his luck when Saraki made a return to the political camp he abandoned before the 2015 elections. Saraki is younger (he’s only 55 years of age), has got a ferocious, young social media savvy team behind him, he’s more energetic, urbane, cunning and full of ideas. Saraki also probably has most of the PDP governors in his corner. You also have a feeling that Saraki was promised the PDP presidential ticket as a pre-condition for his defection.

The PDP says it has internalized democracy in its operations. The run up to the primaries will be a good place to see democracy in the PDP in action. Will the Uche Secondus led national working committee of the PDP be able to manage all the egos and alpha males in the room before, during and after the primaries?

The PDP will arguably throw up the greatest reality TV show in Nigeria before the year draws to a close and you really don’t want to miss this one for anything in the world.