Politics

2023: Atiku visits Southeast, promises Igbo presidency, restructuring

Published

2 years ago

September 28, 2022

…to tackle insecurity, infrastructural decay

Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has said that Igbos can only become president after he must have completed his tenure.

Atiku also vowed to prioritise developmental projects in Southeast and other regions when elected, saying that any project in any State is a favour to Nigeria.

The former Vice President also promised to tackle insecurity across the country, infrastructural decay and of course work with the lawmakers to restructure the country.

Atiku, who was addressing Southeast PDP stakeholders in Enugu on Tuesday in company of his running mate, Gov. Ifeayin Okowa of Delta State, said: “I am the stepping stone for Igbos to become President of Nigeria”.

The PDP candidate, who maintained that he would win the 2023 presidential polls, said his great relationship with the Igbos would continue until they assume the presidency after his tenure.

“I’ve had close relationship with the Igbos and this influenced my choices of Senator Ben Obi and Mr. Peter Obi as my running mates in my two previous outings as presidential candidate. Again, I have chosen another great Igbo here (Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa) for the third time as my running mate.

“I have three Igbo children and I am saying this for the very first time in public. So, my relationship with Ndigbo did not start today,” Atiku said.

While promising to prioritise projects in Southeast, Atiku took a swipe at the All Progressives Congress(APC)-led administration for segregating some parts of the country with the paucity of projects.

“The second Niger bridge in Onitsha is not a favour to the Southeast, rather it is or should be seen as a favour to Nigeria. This is because it is not only the people of the Southeast that use the bridge,” Atiku said.

He also expressed concern over the ongoing sit-at-home in the region which he said had dealt a big blow to the economy of the region and the country at large, calling on elders in the region to speak out against it.

He said his administration would pay close attention to tackling insecurity, economic and other challenges bedevilling the country.

Meanwhile, the governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu was conspicuously absent during the visit of Atiku to the Southeast.

Ikpeazu was conspicuously missing as the presidential candidate met with other candidates of the party in the region.

The meeting, which commenced around 1.30pm, was attended by the newly appointed chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara; national secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu; governorship candidates of the party in Abia, Enugu and Ebonyi States and some senatorial and House of representatives candidates.

Ikpeazu, who is a staunch ally of the Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike, was believed to have been absent from the meeting following the unresolved issues trailing the presidential primary election of the party.

Wike’s allies, who have been sympathetic to his cause, had vowed not to be part of the Presidential Campaign Council set up by Atiku.

Gov Nyesom Wike and his allies had insisted that the National Chairman of the party, Dr Iyorcha Ayu must step down or else they won’t have anything to do with the presidential aspiration of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar because the presidential candidate and the national chair of the party can not come from the same geopolitical zone.

Additionally, they said Ayu had equally promised to resign from office if the party’s presidential candidate eventually emerged from the the same geo-political zone.

Related Topics:Alhaji Atiku Abubakar PDP

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Politics

BREAKING: Agboola Ajayi wins Ondo PDP primary

Published

15 hours ago

April 25, 2024

NewsDirect

The former deputy governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has emerged as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the November governorship election.

He polled 264 votes at the party primary, beating his closest rival, a former member of the House of Representatives, Kolade Akinjo, who got 157 votes.

Details shortly.

Politics

We’re ready to conduct free, fair primary election in Ondo — PDP election committee assures guber aspirants

Published

17 hours ago

April 25, 2024

NewsDirect

By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure

The seven-man Primary Election Committee, to conduct the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election in Ondo State has assured to conduct a free, fair and transparent primary election to choose its candidate for the November 16 governorship election in the state.

The Bayelsa State Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who chaired the seven-man committee, while speaking with journalists at the venue of the exercise on Thursday morning at the International Culture and Events Centre (The Dome), said; “We are in Ondo state for the conduct of the PDP gubernatorial primaries, where we have seven aspirants and you know electoral rules requires that for a candidate to emerge in any party, primaries should be conducted.

“Three forms are provided for in the Electoral Acts 2022, we have the direct, indirect and consensus primaries. But here today, we are adopting the indirect primaries for which we are here. We expect about 627 delegates for the election and we are all set, all members of the panel are here, the accreditation has started. So, we are prepared and the aspirants are in high spirits and they have assured me that they would agree to work together for whoever emerged as the candidate.

“The problem of our party is how to get the power back from the APC that had taken power from us for the past eight years.

“We expect a very transparent, free, fair, credible and rancor free election and I have gotten commitment of all the aspirants that they would abide by the outcome and we are going to make it transparent as possible.

“You may be aware of my record that I was the one that conducted the primaries in Osun state and we won in Osun and I’m here again to conduct the Ondo state primary and by the grace of God, we are going to win because the sun of the last year is still the same of this year, so the rain will fall and the farmers would have good harvest.”

A total of 627 delegates from the 18 Local Government Areas of the state are expected to elect the standard bearer of the party for the November 16, 2024 governorship election after the exercise.

As at the time of filing this report, the accreditation of the delegates has commenced, while voting will follow after.

Politics

Ondo Guber: PDP begins accreditation of 627 delegates as primaries commence

Published

19 hours ago

April 25, 2024

NewsDirect

The accreditation process for 627 delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that will vote during the governorship primaries of the party in Ondo State has begun.

With the indirect mode of primary adopted by the opposition party, the voting process will soon begin immediately after the delegates have undergone accreditation.

The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, who is superintending over the exercise, has assured that the process will be transparent.

According to Ewhrudjakpo, the party is poised to takeover power from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in order to ensure proper governance in the state.

“We expect about 627 delegates for the election and we are all set. All members of the panel are here, the accreditation has started.

“So, we are prepared and the aspirants are in high spirits and they have assured me that they would agree to work together for whoever emerged as the candidate.

“The problem of our party is how to get the power back from the APC that had taken power from us for the past eight years.

“You may be aware of my record that I was the one that conducted the primaries in Osun State and we won in Osun and I’m here again to conduct the primaries in Ondo State.

“By the grace of God, we are going to win because the sun of the last year is still the same of this year, so the rain will fall and the farmers would have good harvest.”