With Bello Haliru nominated for a ministerial seat, the coast is now clear for a new and substantive National Chairman for the ruling party to emerge. Already, the PDP at the behest of President Jonathan has put paid to the ambition of South West contenders of the seat which include Board of Trustees (BoT) member, Chief Ebenezer Babatope and former Education Minister, Professor Tunde Adeniran, in favour of the North East zone.

Among the contenders from the favoured North East zone, the race is a straight battle between Second Republic governor of defunct Gongola State, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and former governor of Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Muazu.

Jonathan is better disposed to Tukur who has been the Chairman of the African Business Roundtable (ABR), an organ of the New Economic Partner- ship for African Development (NEPAD).

But PDP governors of North East states favour Muazu, expressing preference for a younger party chairman.