About 4 months to the 2019 general elections, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President, Waziri Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar last Friday performed perhaps his first duty by selecting the former governor of Anambara state, Dr.Peter Obi, as his running mate.
ABDULRAHMAN ZAKARIYAU takes a look at the uproar that followed Obi’s choice.
Following his emergence as the PDP presidential candidate, in seamless exercise that defied pessimistic expectation that it would rancorous in view of the ‘large’ number of aspirants in the field.
But the PDP apparently proved doubting Thomas wrong that it is not yet ready to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Aso Villa.
The Atiku Campaign Organisation quickly aired a prepared slogan detailing on a fresh hope that Atiku represents.
Zoning headache returns Presidential ticket having been sorted out, attention turned to Atiku’s likely running mate and several names were thrown up including Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, ex-finance minister, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu, Dr. Peter Obi, among others.
Argument over which geo-political zone should be based on political permutation be allowed to produce the Vice President for the party.
It seems the matter was addressed when the immediate-past National Secretary of the Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen.Ben Obi, hinted that the party had already zoned the vice presidential slot in 2019 to the South-East geopolitical zone.
Obi said that the zoning of the vice presidential slot to the South East was one of the cardinal recommendations of the Sen.
Ike Ekweremaduled committee which was set up to examine why the party lost the 2015 presidential elections and make recommendations on the way forward.
“After the 2015 election, the party set up the Ekweremadu Committee.
The Committee recommended that the party should zone the presidency to the North and the vice presidency to the SouthEast.
The National Working Committee, NWC endorsed the recommendations of the committee,” Obi was quoted by Vanguard as saying.
However, the South West zone is refusing to forego the chance of producing the vice president of the party, with leaders from the zone accusing PDP of maltreatment over the years.
But that was countered by a chieftain of the party from the South West, who was a member of the PDP Convention Committee.
“Now that we have a candidate to challenge President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, we must be fair to the South-West which has been taken for granted in the scheme of things for quite a while now.
Anything short of the Vice Presidency slot will not be acceptable to our people.
“Last year, a lot of intrigues played out at our convention and we were denied the opportunity to produce the chairman.
A prominent Nigerian and one of our leaders, Bode George backed out of the race and a few others who couldn’t comprehend what was going on left for other parties.
“But we stayed on and were able to prevail on our people to have faith in the party.
Now that the convention has come and gone, I advise our candidate to pick his running mate from the South-West to win majority of our people’s votes.” There is very little vice president office can drive to any part of Nigeria under this structure.
Let us get the proper structure, put the country on the part of development, security and the rest of them.
In fact if we restructured, people will prefer to be at the federation unit than to be at the central.
Atiku decides Eventually following consultations with members of his inner caucus and relevant PDP chieftains including some retired Generals, Atiku opted for Dr.
Peter Obi.
In a quick reaction, the campaign organisation of Atiku Abubakar has explained the reason for the selection of former Anambra State governor as the running mate to the People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
Atiku Campaign DG, Otunba Gbenga Daniel noted that “Mr.
Obi’s choice was largely influenced by his youthfulness, vast knowledge of global and local economics as well as being a financial expert, all experience which Nigeria is in great need at this point in time,” said Gbenga Daniel, the directorgeneral of Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation.
“This ticket will be able to steer our nation back on the path of progress, economic prosperity and unity.
Former Chairman, Fidelity Bank PLC; former Chairman, Guardian Express Mortgage Bank; former Chairman, Future Views Securities; former Chairman, Paymaster Nigeria; former Chairman, Next International Nigeria; former Director, Guardian Express Bank PLC; former Director, Chams Nigeria PLC; former Director, Emerging Capital: former Director, Card Centre PLC.
South East PDP Kicks The leaders of the PDP in the South East in a meeting at the Enugu home of Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, revealed that the were not consulted before the announcement of ex-governor Peter Obi of Anambra State as the running mate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, last week Friday.
In attendance were governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, David Umahi and Okezie Ikpeazu of Enugu, Ebonyi, and Abia states respectively and legislators from the South-east and other eminent members of the party from the zone.
Briefing journalist after the meeting, the chairman of the South-east Governors ForumEbonyi state governor, David Umahi said the leaders of the zone were not consulted before the said nomination.
He explained that “We saw news flying up and down saying that our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has picked a running mate from the zone,” Mr Umahi said.
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.
On his part, the Zonal Vice chairman of PDP, Augustine Umahi, also said the leaders of the party in the zone saw the news of Mr Obi’s nomination as the PDP’s running mate on social media.
“Our leaders are saying that we are not yet aware that such a thing (Obi’s appointment) happened.
Peter Obi is our son, and is from Southeast, 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,” he said.
The spokesman of Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, told Blueprint Weekend that the Yoruba’s are not concern or bothered of where the vice president is from or the personality, as far as PDP Presidential Candidate, Alh Atiku Abubakar and PDP picks from the South that their major concern is restructuring.
He however noted that anyone who will serve has the vice president “is going to be in charge of economy should be a man knowledgeable about economy.
He should be a savvy, younger and he can come from anywhere in South Since the PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is from the north.
But the most important we made on Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is that he should stand firm and restructure Nigeria for the good of all.
Odumakin revealed that, “without restructure nothing is going to happen, go and bring bthe best economic from anywhere under this structure nothing meaningful will be achieved.
The fundamental thing is to restructure Nigeria to the part of productivity, he need someone who will assist him to in this task.
So he can pick anybody from any part of the south.
“Well if south west get the vice president or any position is an additional thing for us, but the most important thing for us is restructuring.
There is very little vice president office can drive to any part of Nigeria under this structure.
Let us get the proper structure, put the country on the part of development, security and the rest of them.
In fact if we restructured, people will prefer to be at the federation unit than to be at the central, he said.
Jonathan calls for calm Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has pleaded with south-east leaders to accept the decision of Atiku Abubakar to choose Peter Obi as his running mate for the 2019 election.
A statement signed by Ikechukwu Eze, Jonathan’s media aide, read: “The task before us is to build on this firm foundation and momentum by pulling in one direction and working assiduously for the victory of these candidates at the polls.
He stated that “It is against this backdrop that I appeal for calm and understanding in the South East where my attention has been drawn to the fact that some leaders of our party are openly expressing their discomfort with the reported nomination of former Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi as Atiku’s running mate.
I am told that some of our leaders in the zone have raised issues with the process of consultation that produced the Vice Presidential candidate.
“I affirm that consultation is a key ingredient in every political process.
Nonetheless, in the selection of a vice presidential candidate, a presidential candidate is allowed reasonable freedom to select his running mate based on loyalty, trust, experience, temperament and capacity to perform the responsibilities of the office.
Anything other than this could create tension and acrimony between the presidential candidate and his running mate, even before the inauguration of the government.
“My plea is for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to be given a free hand to choose who he wants to work with as his Vice President without putting him through undue pressure.
In this regard, only minimal consultation is required which doesn’t necessarily have to involve full regional review and approval.
“We have to be careful not to give the impression that the process of selecting a Vice Presidential candidate cannot progress until a regional stamp of approval is formally procured.
The system we are used to right from the First Republic is one that places the choice of a running mate at the behest of the candidate, based on his own convictions on capacity and compatibility.
“From my political history beginning from Deputy Governor to President, I can say that this is the tradition and standard practice in countries where either the President and his Vice or Governor and his deputy contest election on a common slate.
In such instance, once a candidate emerges, he or she is given a free hand to select the person who understands his vision and plans for the country, as his running mate.
“I therefore want to directly appeal to my brothers and sisters from the South East zone who are members of our party to reconsider their position and allow the presidential candidate of our party to select a candidate he thinks he can work with to be able to achieve the party’s development goals.
Since Atiku has nominated Mr. Peter Obi as his running mate, I am pleading with my party members from the zone to accept his choice.
Who is Obi Peter Obi was born on 19th July 196, he served as governor of Anambra State in Nigeria from 17 March 2006 to 2 November 2006, when he was impeached and from 9 February 2007 to 29 May 2007 after his impeachment was overturned.
Although a fresh election was held on 29 April 2007, he was named governor on 14 June 2007 after a court ruling that he should be allowed to complete a four-year term.
He won a 6 February 2010 election for a second term as governor.
During both terms, he was a member of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
He sometimes in 2014 defected to the PDP on account of the performance of the then President Goodluck Jonathan.
Prior to his journey into politics, Obi was a banker and was at a time the chairman of the board of Board of Security and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Obi started his business career as the Chairman of Next International Nigeria Ltd, then Chairman and Director of Guardian Express Mortgage Bank Ltd, Guardian Express Bank Plc, Future View Securities Ltd, Paymaster Nigeria Ltd, Chams Nigeria Ltd, Data Corp Ltd and Card Centre Ltd amongst other places where worked.
No doubt, just like the incumbent vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Peter Obi also has an intimidating Curriculum Vitae.
He is highly experienced in economy and governance, with a clean record that is free of any corrupt allegation.
Why Atiku picked Obi – DG In a quick reaction, the campaign organisation of Atiku Abubakar has explained the reason for the selection of former Anambra State governor as the running mate to the People’s Democratic Party’s presidential candidate.
Atiku Campaign DG, Otunba Gbenga Daniel noted that “Mr.
Obi’s choice was largely influenced by his youthfulness, vast knowledge of global and local economics as well as being a financial expert, all experience which Nigeria is in great need at this point in time,” said Gbenga Daniel, the director-general of Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation.
“This ticket will be able to steer our nation back on the path of progress, economic prosperity and unity.
Former Chairman, Fidelity Bank PLC; former Chairman, Guardian Express Mortgage Bank; former Chairman, Future Views Securities; former Chairman, Paymaster Nigeria; former Chairman, Next International Nigeria; former Director, Guardian Express Bank PLC; former Director, Chams Nigeria PLC; former Director, Emerging Capital: former Director, Card Centre PLC.
In the end Interestingly, in all these the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not issue any official statement on the vice president slot, when contacted the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said the party will make the party decision known.
However, it seems like the party and its Presidential candidate, Atiku , are prepared to pick a candidate from the South East as agreed on by the Zoning committee report submitted some years ago.
The big question is, can Peter Obi get them support and vote of the people of South East? Will the party survive another rift emanating from its stronghold? Only time will tell.
