Northern leaders have shortlisted former Senate President Bukola Saraki and Governor of Niger Bauchi state, Bala Mohammed, as consensus candidates ahead of the May 28 presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The selection was announced in a communique signed by former vice chancellor of Ahamdu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Ango Abdullahi.

“For the purpose of this exercise, it is hereby resolved that Gov. Bala Mohammad from the North-East and former Senate President Bukola Saraki from the North-Central be presented as the Northern consensus candidates for the moment.

“It was resolved that a leading aspirant from the North-Central and one from the North-East are to be presented as Northern Presidential candidates.

“The two would in turn be required to make further concessions so that in the end, one of them would be presented as the consensus candidate, out of the four that presented themselves from the North,” the communique read.

Former VIce President Atiku Abubakar, who in March declared to run for the 2023 presidency, did not honour the arrangement, leaving the number of present aspirants to four, namely Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Mr Mohammed, Mr Saraki and Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.