Nigeria’s former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has told the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to give him the right of first refusal for the party’s 2023 presidential ticket.
Atiku who was candidate of the party in 2019, made the request when he met the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) led by the national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, at the national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday to formally apprise it of his decision to seek the ticket in the next year’s presidential election.
Atiku affirmed that he already has 11 million votes in the kitty and therefore requested the PDP to give him the ticket.
He described himself as the best candidate, noting that however since this is a democracy, all other aspirants should have the right to face the electorate for the ticket.
Atiku admonished the NWC to pave the way for the emergence of the best candidate to lead the party to victory in the 2023 general election.
The aspirant affirmed that if he becomes the president, he would work for the devolution of powers to the states and unify the country.
He said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has failed in comparative analysis with the PDP’s performance in government.
