Earlier, a group of PDP presidential aspirants, seeking consensus candidate said on Tuesday that consultations with stakeholders was not about a northern agenda, but about a united Nigeria.

Saraki, who is one of the aspirants, stated this while addressing journalists after a meeting of the aspirants with Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.

The meeting held at the Enugu State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.

The aspirants include Saraki, Gov. Mohammed Bala of Bauchi State, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and a businessman, Muhammad Hayatudeen

Saraki said the group of aspirants, which had been going around the country to promote the need for consensus candidate had been emphasising that it was not a northern agenda.

“When we started about three weeks ago, most of the aspirants we had then were mainly from the north.

“We have now been talking to aspirants across the country because more people have come out in the South and we are all going to meet.

“We are talking about Nigeria. We are not talking about the northern aspirants or southern aspirants.

“I have good news that already, the same move is being made by aspirants in the South and eventually all will meet and see to one consensus; that consensus is a Nigerian that represents all the groups.

“So, I just want to be clear about that; and be reassured it is not about just issue of a northern consensus, not at all; it is a consensus for the PDP and one Nigeria,’’ Saraki stressed.

Saraki described the Abuja meeting as successful and said the four aspirants were talking to colleagues and stakeholders on how to unite all the aspirants to ensure that they create a platform for the party to take over government.

He decried level of insecurity, hardship and high cost of living in the country, saying it was clear that it was only a PDP government that could reverse the trend or rescue the country.

“To do that, we require unity on our side. That is why individually, we have all decided that our interests and ambitions are secondary to that of the party and that of the nation.

“The most important ambition now is how to begin to fix Nigeria and put Nigeria on the right course,” he said.

Saraki added that the aspirants were very committed to ensuring that they stood together on a consensus that would help the party to win the 2023 election.

He said the group also believed that anything that must be done, either in the development of the country or the party, must be based on equity, justice and fairness.

In his remarks, Gov. Ugwuanyi said he believed in justice, equity and fairness, in arriving at a consensus candidate.