Atiku Abubakar
Following the landslide victory of Mr Abubakar Atiku as the flag
bearer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday, information
available to us reveal that the jostling for who will be his running
mate has reached fever-pitch.
According to sources close to Mr Atiku, he has referred the
question of who will be his running mate to the party elders to decide.
This, many believe, would serve to heal any wounds that may have
arisen from his landslide victory over Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto
State, who had been enjoying the unhinged support of Governor Nyesom
Wike of Rivers State and the state delegates loyal to him.
There are many eminent PDP members across the country who are
qualified for the role but discussions with top PDP apparatchiks at the
venue of the just-concluded PDP National Convention revealed that the
front runners for the position of Vice Presidential candidate are Otunba
Gbenga Daniel (OGD), Governor Nyesom Wike, former Governor Peter Obi,
Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Govornors Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State and
Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State.
OGD is a former two-term Governor of Ogun State and the Director
General of the Atiku Campaign Organization who was able to garner the
delegates from the south west states, except Ekiti State delegates, to
deliver block votes for Mr Atiku at the primaries.
He is believed to be more suited for the job as he would be able to
reduce the votes to and the dominance of the All Progressives Congress
(APC) in the south west states. He would also balance the influence of
the current Vice President to President Buhari who is also from Ogun
State.
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State was the only Governor
that openly supported Mr Atiku and mobilized support from fellow PDP
Governors, in direct opposition to people like Mr Wike who publicly
supported Mr Tambuwal.
Governor Dickson’s unalloyed support for Mr Atiku also contributed
to his recent victory as the presidential candidate of the PDP.
Mr Dickson has been a stabilizing factor in the Niger Delta and is
widely accepted as a grassroots politician with strong ties with the
Yorubas being that his grandmother is from Ogun State.
His giant strides in various sectors in Bayelsa State continue to
stand him in good stead as a purveyor of peace and development to the
people in general.
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the renowned Finance Minister and
Coordinating Minister of the Economy in President Goodluck Jonathan’s
Government. She comes with immense experience and capacity together with
a largely unblemished public service record.
Though not a politician, her candidacy should put presidential
hopefuls from the south east states at ease as she would not be
competing with them to take over from Mr Atiku at the end of his single
term plan. She would also help to rein in sympathetic votes from
Nigerian women across party lines and ethnic or tribal affiliations.
Governor Wike is arguably the latter day leader of the PDP who has
fought to steady the course of the party in the last turbulent years
after the loss of the presidency to the APC. Though he did not support
Mr Atiku in the primaries, pundits say that his control of the party
systems through his appointed Chairman, Mr Uche Secondus, is very
strong.
Mr Fayose is the current Governor of Ekiti State who stepped down
from the presidential primaries race ostensibly to support Mr Tambuwal.
Despite the fact that his candidate lost the governorship elections to
the APC candidate, pundits say he still commands a lot of support in the
south west states.
Mr Fayose, though considered a rabble-rouser by a cross section of
the society for his many verbal engagements, should therefore help the
PDP garner votes in the south west states as Vice Presidential candidate
to Mr Atiku.
Last but not the least is Dr Peter Obi. He is the immediate past
and very successful governor of Anambra State. Mr Obi brings economic
sagacity and an unblemished public service record to the table but may
raise fears from other possible successors to Mr Atiku at the end of the
single term as being vice president would put him in pole position to
take over.
Source Businesspost