PDP Presidential Aspirants Who Are Yet To Speak On Atiku

There are indications that some Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential candidates who lost the contest to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may need some prodding to work for their candidate in the 2019 presidential election.

At least three of the aspirants have refrained from openly endorsing or speaking about presidential candidate of their party. They are former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso; a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido; and Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed.

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Atiku had battled for the priced position under the main political party alongside eleven other aspirants to include Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal; Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo; and a former Governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa.

Others are: President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; a former President of the Senate, David Mark; a former Minister of Special Duties and Inter Governmental Relations, Tanimu Turaki (SAN); a former Governor of Plateau State, Jona Jang; a former Governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi, Kwankwaso, Lamido and Baba-Ahmed.

Recall that the 72 year-old clinched 1532 votes out of 3, 221 votes, Tambuwal his closest contender got 693 votes, while Saraki came third place with the total of 317 votes.

Votes garnered by the other aspirants are: Ibrahim Dankwambo (111), Sule lamido (96), Ahmed Markarfi (74), Attahiru Bafarawa (48), David Mark (35), Jonah Jang (19), Datti Baba Ahmed (05) and Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (68).

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Atiku will be running against President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the election.

For Atiku to sail smoothly into Aso Rock in 2019, it is expected that he needs the support of political powers – most especially his fellow contenders.

Speaking on behalf of the aspirants shortly after Atiku won the primary election, Saraki had said “We all believe that the interest of this country is more important than our individual interest. I want to first and foremost on behalf of the aspirants thank and congratulate the chairman of the electoral committee, Governor [Ifeanyi] Okowa, and the members for doing us proud and for putting in place the best convention that we have seen…transparent, open and showing that the PDP can get it right and do it right, and that we have men of integrity who can make things happen. Governor Okowa, I congratulate and thank you on behalf of our members.

“And on behalf of my colleagues, I thank our well-deserved presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.”

Saraki, while assuring Atiku of their unwavering support, said, “You have said it is not something you are going to do alone. Let me assure you, we are here, and you just need to call us…even if you don’t call us, we are here to work with you.

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“All the doubting thomases (sic) that thought all the aspirants will not be here, that this and that will happen, but we are all here. We are not walking any anywhere, we’re only walking with you to victory.”

Pledging his support to the PDP presidential candidate, David Mark said he will ensure Atiku emerged victorious for the PDP in the elections.

“I have maintained throughout my electioneering campaign that all the presidential aspirants in our great party, including Abubakar, were eminently qualified to provide excellent leadership for the nation.

“I also pledged that as a faithful and steadfast party man, I would support anyone of them who emerged the flagbearer of the PDP,” he said.

Similarly, Makarfi described the emergence of former Vice-President as the will of Allah.

“It is a fact that long before the convention, in fact, ever since I threw my hat into the ring of the quest for the nomination, I had, at every turn, made it clear that the contest was not a matter of life and death, believing in, and submitting to the prerogative of God to bestow power on whomsoever He wished.

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“I also followed that up with a commitment to the party and others, to support whoever would eventually clinch the nomination.

“In keeping faith with that commitment, I extend his congratulations to Wazirin Adamawa and reiterated his commitment to the success of the campaign in all ways.”

On his own part, Dankwambo, pledged his support to Atiku. “I assure you of my personal commitment and that of my supporters all over the country in the next presidential race,” he said.

Tambuwal, who was the choice of PDP stalwarts- Rivers State Governor Nyesome Wike and Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, in a congratulatory letter to Atiku, also assured of his support.

“The task at hand, going forward, is to ensure victory at the polls in order to save our fatherland from the current regime of annihilation bestriding it,” he said

Bafarawa, on his own part, pledged his unalloyed support to Atiku.

“As a democrat, who participated in the recent PDP primaries, I believed in the unity of our great party, than personal interest. I am also calling on other aspirant to emulate same.

“During my tour across the 36 states of the federation including the FCT, Abuja to meet with delegates, I pledged to work with any candidate who becomes the flag bearer of the PDP to defeat APC. And my position on this remains same,” he said in a statement signed by the Director General, Bafarawa Campaign Organisation (BCO), Senator Paul Wampana.

Describing Atiku as “our president-in-waiting”, Jang had said, “Your Excellency, when you get to power and you would get there by the grace of God, let their (Middle belt people) security, welfare, and prosperity be of utmost concern to you.”

Turaki, in a statement, assured Atiku of his full support and collaboration and that of his political organization.

“The same attributes of knowledge, experience and political astuteness which the former Vice President has garnered in both the public and private sectors as well as in politics, stand him in good stead to tackle contemporary challenges facing the nation”, the statement by Turaki read.

Recall that political bigwigs such as former president Olusegun Obasanjo and a former military president, Ibrahim Babangida have endorsed Atiku ahead of the elections which is expected to take place on February 16th, 2019.

THE WHISTLER reports that the Reconciliation Committee of the PDP, led by Seriake Dickson, on Monday, met with all aspirants to enjoin all those who felt aggrieved at the Port Harcourt convention to rally behind Atiku in the 2019 elections.

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