Former Vice President and five-time Presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the February 16, 2019 Presidential elections.
In a fiercely contested primaries which began on Saturday at the Adokie Amasiemeka Stadium, Port Harcourt, Rivers, the five-time Presidential Aspirant who polled 1,532 votes trumped the other aspirants; Governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal who garnered a total of 693 votes, Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki with 317 votes and Former Kano Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso who polled 158 votes to clinch victory at the party’s convention.
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The other candidates recorded votes as follows: Ibrahim Dankwambo – 111 votes, Sule Lamido – 96 votes; Ahmed Makarfi –74 votes; Taminu Turaki – 65 votes; Attahiru Bafarawa – 48 votes; David Mark – 35 votes; Jonah Jang – 19 votes and Datti-Baba Ahmed who scored 5 votes, while 68 votes were invalid.
Chairman of the Special Convention Committee, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, announced the result on Sunday morning in the election which saw over 3,000 delegates vote for the party’s flag bearer.
Seventy-one year old Atiku had previously run for the seat in the race to the presidency in 1993 under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) where he came third in the primaries behind business mogul – Chief M.K.O Abiola and his running mate Babagana Kingibe; in 2007 under the platform of the Action Congress (AC) coming 3rd in the general election; lost in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) 2011 presidential primary to former President Goodluck Jonathan; as well as in the 2015 primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) where he came 3rd behind former Kano Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso and incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Temidayo Taiwo-Sidiq is a Journalist, Political Analyst and Satirist with major interest in Nigerian Politics, Governance and Sports.
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