Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been given guidelines by the national leadership of his party in his search for a running mate.
Prince Uche Secondus
The party leadership, led by its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, had a meeting with Atiku to discuss the issue.
The meeting was held at the party’s presidential campaign office, otherwise known as Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja, on Sunday night, according to reports.
Some strict criteria were then set for who Atiku’s partner will be to enable the pair is strong enough to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 14, 2019 presidential election.
Atiku and his team were the first to arrive for the meeting before Secondus and his team, who were delayed with flight schedule from Port Harcourt. The meeting started late in the night and lasted for about two hours. Atiku was then mandated to submit list of his preferred candidates as running mates to the party.
The Waziri Adamawa was informed that the running mate should be younger than him and must grounded in the country’s economy, according to reports.
The newspaper also reported that series of meetings would be held within the week in order to enable the party meet the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the submission of candidates’ names for the elections.
The choice of running mate for the Waziri Adamawa may be a make or mar decision because the electorate have become even more political conscious. The choice can either mean a return to power for the PDP or a runaway victory for the incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential elections holding on February 14, 2019.
Like the choice of a spouse, selecting a running mate is so important that it can either make or mar Atiku’s race to Nigeria’s seat of power in 2019.
“Basically, the South East, South West and South South are the region we’re currently looking at,” said a chieftain of the PDP who craved anonymity.
“A lot of names have come up but this decision is so important that we’re looking for someone with a proven track record of competence, character and integrity to deliver Nigeria from the mess the APC has created in over three years,” the source declared.
The top five names touted as the possible running mates for him are:
Peter Obi
Born on July 19, 1961, in Onitsha, former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, is top on the list of possible running mate for Atiku.
Like Atiku, Obi is an experienced politician and businessman. Many sources say the relationship between Atiku and Obi has improved in recent times.
“Having personally followed him in the past six months, listened and interacted with him on a number of issues negatively affecting our society, I observe in him a person who has the burning desire to leave a footprint in the sands of time,” Obi said in a reaction to Atiku’s victory at the PDP presidential election.
Akinwumi Adesina
President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and former Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina’s name is also being penned down as Atiku’s running mate ahead of 2019.
Adesina introduced more transparency into the fertiliser supply chain. He was named as Forbes African Man of the Year for his reform of Nigerian agriculture.
As AfDB president, Adesina launched a strategy based on energy, agriculture, industrialization, regional integration and bettering Africans’ lives.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Former Finance Minister and coordinator of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is the only woman on the list.
Ngozi, an economist and a former Managing Director of the World Bank between 2007 and 2011, spearheaded negotiations with the Paris Club of Creditors that led to the wiping out of US$30 billion of Nigeria’s debt, including the outright cancellation of US$18 billion.
In 2003, Ngozi led efforts to improve Nigeria’s macro-economic management including the implementation of an oil-price-based fiscal rule where revenues accruing above a reference benchmark oil price were saved in a special account, “Excess Crude Account” which helped to reduce macro-economic volatility.
She spearheaded several World Bank initiatives to assist low-income countries during the 2008 – 2009 food crises and later during the financial crisis. In 2010, she was chair of the IDA replenishment, World Bank’s successful drive to raise $49.3 billion in grants and low-interest credit for the poorest countries in the world.
Otunba Gbenga Daniel
The former state governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, is also eyeing the job. As governor, Daniel, 62, is remembered for implementing programmes centred on Public-Private Partnership which attracted several businesses to the State during his tenure.
As the director-general of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Daniel played a key role in selling the former vice president to delegates of the party prior to his emergence on Saturday.
Atiku had said: “I am in no doubt OGD (Otunba Gbenga Daniel) is a very positive and welcome addition to our campaign and I look forward to working with him as he leads our campaign to victory in February 2019.”
Okezie Ikpeiazu
Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeiazu, could also emerge as Atiku’s running mate for the race to Aso Villa in 2019.
According to a source, Ikpeazu is being considered to “pacify” the South East “which has been marginalized by the Buhari administration.
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