As the month-long search for a consensus candidate among the four Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants from the north ends today, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that it will not accept any candidate that emerges through undemocratic arrangements within political parties.

Regina Omo-Agege, INEC Acting Director, Political Party Monitoring and Liaison, said at the Monitoring Training Workshop for the Commission's staff in Abuja, that any consensus arrangement that fails to garner the support of all the aspirants involved would be deemed illegal and unconstitutional.

A final screening of the contending northern candidates will be conducted by the Northern Political Leaders Forum (NPLF) in Abuja today and it is expected to last the whole day.

The aspirants facing the Forum are former military president, Ibrahim Babangida; former vice president, Abubakar Atiku; governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki and a former National Security Adviser, Aliyu Gusau. "A situation where we have one hundred and only two voices agree is not consensus. It is illegal. It is undemocratic. We are not going to take that negative consensus," Ms Omo-Agege said. "If the party says consensus can be allowed, let them bring out all those contesting for the position. As long as one person is complaining, (there is) no consensus." The INEC official urged political parties to shun any arrangement that did not conform to the constitution as well as laid down democratic processes.

"If the constitution says two-third majority, then you go by two-third majority. But if the word consensus is used, it has nothing to do with two-third majority. It is agreement by all," she said.

The Northern Political Leaders Forum is determined that the north presents a sole candidate to face President Goodluck Jonathan and other aspirants during the primaries of the PDP, which may come up either late December or sometime in January.

The Forum, chaired by a former finance minister, Adamu Ciroma recently concluded a tour of the 19 northern states during which it met with traditional rulers and leaders of faith-based organizations and eminent northerners to solicit their support for the consensus project. The committee is expected to announce the outcome of their efforts on Tuesday.

Apprehensive aspirants

Investigation reveals that the campaign organizations of the presidential candidates have become apprehensive ahead of the announcement of the panel's choice.

Although they have been campaigning across the country and placing adverts in the mass media, the candidates and their campaign handlers are also said to have been cautious in the manner they have embarked on some of these projects.

For instance, it was learnt that one of the aspirants has directed his campaign handlers to reduce the number of newspaper advertorial until the Ciroma committee announces its choice.

Similarly, one of the aspirants suspended the opening of campaign offices in some states until the consensus candidate is named. This, according to sources, is to check the funds being sunk into the presidential project.

The camps of Messrs Babangida and Saraki are also said to be jittery over reports that the committee has shut out the two aspirants, who are from the north central zone, thereby narrowing the search to Messrs Atiku and Gusau who are from Adamawa State in the north east, and Zamfara State in the northwest geo-political zones. Mr Ciroma has denied the report.

But as a way of exhibiting its confidence that Mr Atiku will pick the consensus ticket, his campaign organization last weekend organize a two-day retreat. But the former vice president's media adviser, Garba Shehu explained that it was meant to take stock of the campaign so far.

In a telephone interview at the weekend, Mr Shehu said that despite criticisms, his principal is sure to win because of his nationwide acceptance.

His counterpart in the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Campaign Organisation (ABS), Garba Mohammed Deen, thinks otherwise. "We're optimistic," he said in a telephone chat. Kassim Afegbua, who speaks for the Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Organisation, also believes that the consensus ticket will go to the former military president. "We are confident that we are getting the ticket because IBB is not only a household name in the country, his legacies are found everywhere. He is not an unknown quantity," he said.

Ben Obi, a former senator and director-general of the Aliyu Gusau Campaign Organisation would not speak when he was reached, but Mr Gusau has repeatedly said he will respect the decision of the committee.

Long journey

The search for a consensus candidate among the four presidential hopefuls to confront Mr Jonathan began on September 17 when the directors-general of their campaign organizations met in Abuja.

Those who met were Raymond Dokpesi of Ibrahim Babangida Campaign Organisation; Chris Mammah of Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation; Ben Obi of Aliyu Gusau Campaign Organisation and Ibrahim Yakubu Lame, then of Bukola Saraki Campaign Organisation.

At the end of the meeting, they issued a statement, saying that they had resolved to work together towards presenting a common candidate during the PDP primaries and in the 2011 presidential polls. They also set up an eight-member committee to deliberate and advise on the matter.