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These are the profiles of the frontline candidates jostling for the presidential ticket of the PDP ahead of the 2019 election.

Meet the 5 major aspirants fighting for opposition party's presidential ticket | Pulse Nigeria

Jude Egbas

<h1>The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will hold its presidential primary election at a special convention this weekend in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.</h1>

The <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/politics/wike-goes-to-war-with-pdp-presidential-aspirants-on-primaries-id8907571.html" id="0258ed0a-ec14-5fb9-9007-6dd91af745ef">convention is slated for Saturday October 6 to Sunday October 7. </a>

The PDP's long list of aspirants contesting for the party's presidential ticket includes Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo; and former Governors Sule Lamido, Ahmed Makarfi, Attahiru Bafarawa, Jonah Jang and Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Others are former Senate President, David Mark, former Senator, Baba Datti Ahmed, and former Minister Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Tanimu Turaki.

Here are profiles of the 5 frontrunners for the PDP’s biggest prize this weekend:

61-year-old Kwankwaso served as Governor of Kano State from 1999 to 2003 and from 2011 to 2015.

Kwankwaso lost his re-election battle in 2003 to Ibrahim Shekarau and was appointed Defense Minister by President Olusegun Obasanjo immediately after.

In 2015, Kwankwaso contested the APC presidential ticket with Muhammadu Buhari, Atiku Abubakar, Sam Nda Isaiah and Rochas Okorocha.

Kwankwaso currently represents Kano Central in the senate. He was <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/news/politics/article8649713.ece" id="b9de0cf0-6024-567d-a62d-1de0d9b849c7">one of a handful of APC senators who dumped the party for the PDP on July 24, 2018.</a>

Tambuwal is 52 years old. He learnt the ropes in politics when he worked as Personal Assistant on Legislative Affairs to Senator Abdullahi Wali, from 1999 to 2000.

Tambuwal was elected into the House of Representatives to represent the people of Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency in 2003, on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

In 2007, Tambuwal dumped the ANPP for the Democratic People’s Party (DPP).

Tambuwal followed Aliyu Wamakko to the PDP in 2007.

He served in various committees of the House and was Deputy Chief Whip in 2007.

Tambuwal was Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015.

In 2015, Tambuwal emerged as Governor of Sokoto State and on August 1, 2018, he defected from the APC to the PDP.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is 71 years old.

Atiku served in the Nigeria Customs Service for twenty years. He rose to the position of Deputy Director of Customs--the second highest position in the service. He retired in April 1989 and became a full time businessman and politician.

Atiku has been running for President since 1993. Atiku came third behind Babagana Kingibe and MKO Abiola in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential primaries of 1992.

Atiku ran for the office of Governor of Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba States) in 1991.

In 1998, Atiku was elected Governor of Adamawa State. He was Governor-elect when he was selected by the PDP as Olusegun Obasanjo’s running mate.

He served as Vice President to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2007.

55-year-old Bukola Saraki served as Governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011.

In 2011, Saraki was elected senator by the people of Kwara central senatorial district. He was re-elected senator on the APC platform in 2015.

On July 31, 2018, Saraki dumped the APC for the PDP

On August 30, 2018, Saraki declared that he will be running for president.

Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo is 56 years old.

He has worked at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and as Accountant General of Gombe State.

Dankwambo was elected Governor of Gombe in 2011 and was re-elected in 2015.

Meet the 5 major aspirants fighting for opposition party's presidential ticket

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