2019: Abubakar Atiku Begins Search For Running Mate

LAGOS OCTOBER 8TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Sunday at the main bowl of Adokie Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, won the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Hardly did Atiku emerge as the winner than the talk of his running mate started.
Investigations by our correspondents showed that the search might have been limited to the South-East region of the country.
However, some states in the five states that made up the zone might have reportedly been disqualified.
For instance, Anambra, where Senator Ben Obi who was a former running mate to Atiku hailed from, was said to have been disqualified.
The reason, according to authoritative sources, was because the state had produced two former speakers, two former presidents of the Senate, one vice president and a President.
Also, Enugu State which is a PDP-controlled state, was said to have produced a former national chairman of the PDP.
It was also reportedly argued that the state had produced the deputy president of the Senate for the past seven and half years.
For Imo State, the argument for its non-consideration was that it had produced a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and had also produced a president of the Senate.
The race, according to sources close to the party, is between Abia and Ebonyi states.
However, another source said the search for a suitable running mate had not been completely taken out of the South-West.
He added that the party would not impose any candidate on Atiku, saying that the PDP would only serve as a guide, by “putting into consideration all political variables that would enable us win in 2019.”
Meanwhile, in his acceptance speech, Atiku, said Nigerians were now aware of the capabilities of the APC.
The presidential candidate explained that the APC administration had mismanaged the economy of Nigeria, adding that the PDP must be more committed to the country’s growth.
Atiku expressed the need for the party to be committed to solving the challenges facing Nigeria as a country.
He said it was not enough for the PDP to identify the problems plaguing the nation, adding that there must be commitment towards resolving them.
Atiku said, “Nigerians are now yearning for the PDP to return to power because they have been able to test the APC and they know the difference. We have been able to identify the challenges afflicting the people and we must proffer solutions to them.
“It is not only one man’s job and that is why we must work together to achieve our goal.”
Maintaining that the PDP must not be intoxicated by power should it win the presidential election in 2019, the candidate said he had garnered experience after working as the vice-president to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
According to him, “I will not be standing where I am today if my former boss (Olusegun Obasanjo) had not made me the vice-president. All the experience I got then will impact on our government when we win. I give tribute to him (Obasanjo).”

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