By Goodluck Ikiebe
A total of 811 delegates on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are expected to vote in the Primary Elections, barring any change on Saturday/Sunday.
There shall be 774 delegates from the 36 States of the Federation and the FCT, and 37 physically challenged from the 36 States and the FCT.
BREAKDOWN
The North West,comprising of Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States shall bring a total of 193 delegates to the Convention.
The North East Zone which consists of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States has 116 delegates to vote tomorrow.
North Central Zone consisting of Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau States has 130 delegates.
The South West Zone has 143 delegates with Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti States in the zone.
The 129 delegates of the South South Zone shall be coming from Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers States.
The South East Zone of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States shall arrive the election arena with 100 delegates.
Tomorrow’s election shall focus on antecedents, courage, economy, ability to reunite the Nation and addressing the security challenges of our dear Nigeria. In our field studies, more of the younger generation ( youths ) are looking for who can create jobs for the unemployed.
FINDINGS
Our field researchers made serious efforts to have one on one with about 86% of the delegates in all the six geopolitical zones of the country, though there were difficulties in reaching sizeable number of the delegates in Sokoto State.
OUR PROJECTIONS reveal that it is a straight battle between Governor Nyesom Wike and Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
NORTH-WEST.
Notwithstanding being the Zone of a youthful and smart aspirant, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Governor Wike outsmarted Tambuwal and Atiku. From our projections and field findings, this zone will give Nyesom Wike his highest votes. 130 of the 193 votes are in the kitty of the NEW Nigeria team from this zone.
NORTH-EAST.
The home of Waziri Adamawa, Atiku Abubakar, and Bala Mohammed. The NEW Nigeria team took the battle to the home of his opponents and is conservatively eking out 46 votes out the 116 delegates of the zone.
NORTH-CENTRAL
Again, Governor Nyesom Wike is at home in this zone with 72 delegates, having expressed willingness to cast their votes for him. The Former Senate President and former Governor of Kwara State, Dr Bukola Saraki, comes from this zone.
However, the efforts of Governor Wike in reconciling the PDP family in Plateau State, his good relationship with the Benue people, the revolution that swept off Dino Melaye, Atiku’s strongman in Kogi State and goodwill he enjoys in Nasarawa State are yielding results for him.
SOUTH-WEST
This is a safe zone for Governor Wike. With 100 of the 143 votes of the zone in Wike’s pocket victory is sure for the NEW Nigeria team. His bumper harvest in the zone is the bulk of 33 votes from Oyo State.
SOUTH-EAST
Governor Nyesom Wike has great influence and goodwill in this zone. The National Secretary of PDP, Senator Anyanwu, Governor’s Enugu and Abia are presumed to have good control of the zone and if they don’t change their minds at the last minute, Governor Wike is contented with 65 votes of 100 delegates from the zone.
However, the 14 delegates from Ebonyi State is not part of our projection as we could not find the contacts and names of the delegates.
SOUTH-SOUTH.
This is the zone of two presidential aspirants of the PDP, Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State and Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State. Wike has Rivers delegates as no go area, Edo, Cross River and Bayelsa States. Udom is with his Akwa Ibom while Atiku and Wike shall share what is left in Delta.
From this zone, again, Wike will win. 69 of the the 123 delegates shall go with Wike.
FCT
Atiku shall win in the FCT. Only 2 delegates shall vote Wike here.
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is projected to win with about 482 to 496 votes while Vice President Atiku Abubakar will closely follow with 260 to 291 votes.
These projections are barring all last minutes conspiracies, betrayals and horse trading at the venue of Convention which brighten the chances of the NEW Nigeria by Team.
Our Correspondent in Abuja reports that MKO Abiola Sports Stadium in Abuja is wearing a new look adorned with PDP logo.
