The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has spoken against having a sole presidential aspirant for the party.
The PDP said it would not ask any aspirant to step down.
Rather, the party it was pre-occupied with the provision of an enabling environment for all the aspirants to canvass votes at its national convention.
There has been concerns that the growing number of presidential aspirants on the platform of the party could lead to confusion.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, told Punch in Abuja on Saturday, that the party was not thinking of reducing the number of the aspirants.
The party’s mouthpiece added that the NWC was not talking with the aspirants on the need to have a consensus presidential candidate.
He, however, said the aspirants were free to discuss among themselves on the issue.
He said, “Members of the National Working Committee are not thinking or asking for a consensus presidential candidate. We are not even discussing it.
“Nevertheless we will not stop anyone or any group that is discussing that with the aspirants or even if the aspirants are discussing that among themselves.
“We are interested in having a rancour-free national convention where we will openly elect an acceptable presidential candidate that will overwhelmingly defeat President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress in 2019
“The whole world saw how we conducted our national convention where all delegates were given free hands to elect officers of their choice. We will also conduct an acceptable presidential primary where all the contestants will be allowed to take part.
“We are confident that at the end of the exercise, all the aspirants would commend the exercise and would express willingness to work with the winner of the party’s presidential ticket.”