The former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Saturday night, May 28, 2022, emerged the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reports ITREALMS.
The Guardian reports that Atiku won the primary by 371 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, who poled 237 votes, while a former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, scored 70 votes.
Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State got 38 votes; Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, scored 20 votes; a former Senate President, Pius Anyim, got 14 votes, while a former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Sam Ohuabunwa, polled only one vote.
The northern elders’ intervention was said to have led to the withdrawal of the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, and a former Managing Director of FSB International Bank, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, from the race.
The leaders met with the aspirants from the northern part of the country on Friday night.
Led by a former National Security Adviser, Gen Aliyu Gusau (retd.), and a former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa, the leaders went into the crucial meeting to try and reduce the number of northern aspirants to one.
It was learnt that the northern leaders insisted that a particular candidate from the southern part of the country should not be allowed to win the election.
A source privy to the meeting told one of our correspondents that the aspirants from the North were asked to step down for Atiku, who they considered as having national spread more than the others.
It was gathered that Gusau, who was also in Port Harcourt, Rivers State four years ago when Atiku was elected as the party’s presidential candidate, told the aspirants that he was speaking the minds of the entire northern leaders.
The source, who is also a former national chairman of the PDP, said, “The northern leaders felt that Atiku would be better in managing the country and that there is nothing the ruling party or the Federal Government would say about him that had not been said.
“They were of the opinion that no anti-corruption agency will harass him anymore and that he also has national spread.”
It was also gathered that Hayatu-Deen agreed to step down after the meeting, but Tambuwal and others said they would consider it.
“Tambuwal said he would speak at the convention ground, while others said they would speak to their delegates on what to do,” the source added.
Immediately after Tambuwal announced his withdrawal, Atiku took to his Twitter handle to hail the decision.
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