Barely four days after the Alhaji Adamu Ciroma- led wise men selected the Former Vice President Alhaji Abubakar Atiku as

the consensus candidate for the North in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Vice President, Namadi Sambo, has

 declared that there is no consensus candidate from the North in the party.

He made this declaration while speaking with journalists at the Presidential Lounge of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA)

, Lagos , shortly on arrival from Abuja . He pointed out that the PDP has its own constitutional avenue by which it chooses

its candidates.

According to him, “Who said that there is a consensus candidate for the north?Who says so ,because we are not aware of any

 Northern consensus candidate because our understanding differs and the north has no consensus candidate for this election for PDP.

He continued, “PDP has constitutional avenues, we have our constitution of the party on how we select our candidate for our different

 positions for election and just two days ago INEC  presented the timetable which I can assure you the PDP will follow that time table,

 will follow the constitutional processes for the election of our candidate and I  can assure you Nigerians, including yourselves” He added

 that the Jonathan /Sambo ticket will transform Nigeria“ I believe right from the time that we declared for election, that it is time for Nigeria

 to be transformed and Jonathan/ Sambo is the ticket for this country to be transformed for future development to see that Nigeria becomes

one of the most developed countries in the world”Sambo said.

 But Atiku continues to receive growing support from politicians in the North.The latest came from Dr Iyorchia Ayu, former senate

 president who said he received the news of Atiku’s choice with joy.Said Ayu:I received with joy the endorsement of my brother and

 friend, Atiku Abubakar,  GCON, by the Consensus Committee of the Northern Political Leaders Forum.  His  endorsement marks the

beginning of the end of tyranny in our political process and a step towards genuine democracy. It also brings to an end the first phase of

 the struggle to restore honour, integrity and equity in our political  process.  It clearly indicates, once more, that when dishonourable people

 assume power in this country and try to abuse their positions, especially by reneging  on power-sharing arrangements that have kept this

country together, honourable  men and women would close ranks and stop them in the interest of the unity, peace and stability of this country.

``I welcome Atiku’s endorsement without reservation and call on all Nigerians to give him their total support to enable him win the PDP primaries and 

the 2011 general election.’’Ayu said

On his own part Atiku is raising  awareness and calling for vigilance   about the 2011 polls.Former Vice President and presidential aspirant of the 

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar,  said that the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

 is tight, but not unexpected.Atiku told newsmen shortly after meeting with the Kano state chapter of Atiku Campaign Organisation in Abuja 

Wednesday  that notwithstanding the “very tight” schedule of the timetable, INEC has to work very hard to ensure that the constitution is not 

compromised and that the credibility of the process and the integrity of the electoral body is assured.

“The INEC like the parties are operating a very tight schedule. But they need to work extremely hard to ensure that the sanctity of the constitution

 is not compromised and that the electoral process is credible, free and fair to give Nigerians an opportunity to decide who their leaders will be

 in 2011,” he said.

He called for vigilance on the part of Nigerians to ensure that the process of electing the nation’s leaders come 2011 is truly credible, free and fair.

“It is important for Nigerians to be vigilant in order to safe guard their votes and to ensure that the one man or one woman, one vote commitment

 of the government is not just a mantra,” he said. Earlier, Atiku had addressed the Kano state delegation led by Alh. Yahaya  Bagobiri at the newly

 unveiled Media Centre of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign 

Organisation.