The search for a running mate for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, began immediately after the conclusion of the primaries in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Sunday.
According to Eagle Online, Atiku Abubakar, a number of the aspirants for the presidential tickets, some governors and chieftains of the party, including the Director General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, met immediately after the primaries to iron out the issues of zoning of positions the party will adopt ahead of the 2019 elections.
According to informed sources, the meeting agreed that the vice presidential slot should be zoned to the South West in order to counter the ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress, which has President Muhammadu Buhari for the North and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo from the South West.
According to sources at the meeting, the position of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation was zoned to the South East.
The Eagle Online was told that one of those mentioned for consideration at the meeting for the vice presidential slot was Daniel.
He was said to have been considered fit for the position because like Osinbajo, he is from Ogun State and has huge network across the country, especially having been a crucial part of the Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Organisation in 2015 and campaigned across the country for the national chairmanship seat of the PDP, which was eventually won by Prince Uche Secondus.
Sources said those at the meeting also said Daniel performed creditably as governor and has succeeded in rallying the party in his home state for a formidable challenge of the APC in the general election.
One of those said to be in pole position for the SGF slot from the South East is a former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi.
Obi rose to national prominence as governor based on his performance, especially the prudent management of the state’s resources, and has sustained this outside political office with his contributions to education and knowledge of economic issues.
Some party leaders and members are, however, said to be rooting for the emergence of a South-Easterner as the vice presidential running mate.
They also canvassed the position at the meeting, which was adjourned to a later date, which will be soon, for the presidential campaign to commence.
In a related development, Chief Chinedu Eya, a chieftain of the PDP in Enugu State, on Sunday congratulated Abubakar following his emergence as the presidential candidate and called on him to choose the country’s former Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala or Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, representing Bayelsa North Senatorial District as his running mate, to give technical coloration to his aspiration.
Eya, a former Enugu North Senatorial District aspirant on the platform of PDP, who spoke after a keenly contested primary election of the PDP at the national convention of the party held at the Adokiye Amasiemeka stadium, Igwuruta-Ali, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, congratulated the party’s delegates for their bold decision during the exercise.
Eya noted that his choice Murray-Bruce and Okonjo-Iweala was to allow front-line technocrats in the country the opportunity to chart a new course for the Nation’s bastardized economy under the APC in one term.
In a statement by his media aide, Gwiyi Solomon, the PDP chieftain urged the other presidential aspirants who participated in the primary election to happily accept the outcome of the contest and rally round the chosen candidate of the party as the tasks ahead of the general election will be daunting.
Eya said: “The wise thing to do at the moment is for Atiku to choose Dr. Okonjo Iweala or Senator Ben Murray-Bruce to give technical colouration to his aspiration.”
“While I congratulate our delegates for a good job, I also want to beg other contestants in the exercise to hug Atiku and become ‘Atikulated’ as the tasks ahead of the coming general election will no doubt, appear very daunting.”