Atiku’s Running Mate Will Emerge In 24 Hours– Ayu

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyiochia Ayu, is currently meeting with the party’s governors and an enlarge caucus of the party in a bid to get a running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku who emerged over three weeks ago has been consulting on who becomes his running mate with the party’s leadership working with the candidate to arrive at the right candidate before the closing date set by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which is Friday 17.

Speaking during the meeting, Ayu informed that Atiku’s running mate will emerge within the next 48 hours.

Ayu told the gathering that it was necessary to hold the meeting to exhaust all room for consultation in order to arrive at the best choice that will produce the winning ticket for the country and deliver the country from the woods.

He said, “The presidential candidate of our party would have been here, but this morning he suddenly dashed somewhere.

“He apologised and if he comes early, he will join us. But we will go ahead with the assignment he has given us.

“The candidate wrote to us, as the administrative arm of the party, on the choice of his running mate.

“Various organs of the party are well represented in his committee —NWC, Governors Forum, National Assembly, former governors which have put forward their candidates.

“This deliberation will be chaired by my able Deputy, Ambassador Umaru Damagum.

“I wish you a successful deliberation and I hope you come up with a conclusion between tomorrow and Friday.

“Our presidential candidate, this time, has decided to carry everybody along unlike 2019 when he didn’t consult widely in his choice of running mate.”

Those in the meeting include the Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Aminu Tambuwal; Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom; former Senate President, David Mark; former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko; former Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, and Senator Philip Aduda among others.

Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, has been heavily favoured to emerge as the running mate. Also in the frame are governors of Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, Nyesom Wike and Udom Emmanuel.