Peter Obi As VP: Atiku Moves To Appease Ekweremadu, Begs For Support

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has visited the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, to explain why he chose former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, as his running mate, over the federal lawmaker.

Recall that after Atiku announced Obi as his vice presidential candidate ahead of next year’s election, it was rumoured that Ekweremadu bitterly rejected it, because he had hoped that he would be the natural choice for the position.

Recall also that Senator Ekweremadu had led PDP South East Governors and some major political stakeholders in the zone to express shock, as they claimed they were not consulted over the emergence of Peter Obi as Atiku’s running mate for the 2019 presidential election.

“We saw news flying up and down saying that our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has picked a running mate from the zone.

“We were shocked because we were not consulted. While we were meeting, Atiku sent message that he travelled out of the country for a short period. He promised to come down and meet with South East leaders.

“Peter Obi is our son, and from South East, we are not rejecting or accepting him but we are saying is that we are not aware, you cannot shave a man in his absence,” the group said.

But during the visit which was made on Monday, Atiku asked for Ekweremadu’s support and explained to him that Obi was picked in the interest of the zone in particular and the nation in general.

“Obi does not have any corruption case against him and that he does not belong to any faction of the party.

“He was also told that Obi’s emergence has further raised the acceptability level of the PDP across the country.”

It was gathered that the visit was meant to appease Ekweremadu and to seek his unalloyed support.

On the entourage of Atiku were the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, who is also the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus; and the National Organising Secretary of the party, Col. Austin Akobundu (retd.).

Meanwhile, the party has scheduled its National Executive Committee meeting for Thursday in Abuja.