Politics

2019: Atiku to meet South-West leaders over political offices

Published

6 years ago

October 20, 2018

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar , will have a meeting with leaders of the party from the South – West to seek their support ahead of the February 14 , 2019 presidential election in the country ,Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

The development is coming barely a week after the PDP standard bearer picked his running mate from the South -East .

Atiku and the PDP last Friday settled for a former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi , after reports of an initial plan to zone the Vice Presidential slot to the South -West .

Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that Atiku , who left for Dubai shortly after the party’ s national convention in Port Harcourt , the Rivers State capital, and returned to meet with former President Olusegun Obasanjo , who endorsed his candidature , was already discussing with the leadership of the party in the South -West .

Before naming Obi as his running mate , some party leaders in the South- West had called on the ex – VP to consider the zone for the VP slot .

Specifically , a former Deputy National Chairman of the party , Chief Olabode George , had said it would be better for Atiku to nominate someone from the South – West as his running mate .

George , who is a former military governor of Ondo State, argued that the party must consider the importance of the South -West to its desire to win the presidential election next year .

However , a top member of the National Working Committee of the PDP told our correspondent on condition of anonymity that the VP slot was given to the South -East zone in order to placate the people of the region over their cry of alleged marginalisation .

The source , who was privy to the picking of Obi told Saturday PUNCH on Thursday that the former governor of Anambra State was considered the best among those seeking the position .

He said , “ We actually thought about the need to pick from the South – West , but we also considered the cry of marginalisation from the South – East.

“ If you look at it , you will know that from the days of former President Olusegun Obasanjo up till now , except when former President Goodluck Jonathan was there , the South – West had been producing either the President or the Vice President.
“ This was the reason we felt Atiku ’ s running mate should come from another geopolitical zone . ”

Confirming the planned meeting between Atiku and the PDP South- West leaders , a former Minister of Transportation , Chief Ebenezer Babatope , told Saturday PUNCH

in an interview that the former VP had scheduled the meeting .

Babatope , who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the party, believed that the zone had nothing to fear , pointing out that the former VP was voted by majority of the delegates from the South – West zone during the party’ s national convention which was held in Port Harcourt between October 6 and 7 .

Apart from this , he said Atiku , whose first wife hails from Osun State, would never neglect the zone if he won the election .

Babatope said , “ I ’ m aware that the leadership of our party in the South -West will meet with Atiku very soon . At the meeting , which is already being planned , our presidential candidate will tell us what he has for us .

“ We are not angry because we lost the VP slot to the South- East . Majority of us voted for him at the national convention in Port Harcourt . ”

He added , “ It may also interest you to know that Atiku , being part of the Obasanjo presidency , is aware of the sharing of political offices in the PDP . It was a government that respected the principle of federal character .

“ You may also need to know that Atiku has agreed to give the nation true federalism . That, to me , is the ultimate . I ’ m sure that with true federalism, Nigeria will be better . ”

We will take care of all zones – Secondus

Speaking on the plan the PDP has for the South – West zone , the PDP National Chairman , Prince Uche Secondus, said all the six geopolitical zones would be accommodated by the party “ when we win the presidential election . ”

Secondus told Saturday PUNCH that “ the PDP is sensitive to our members in particular and the nation in general . We are going to have elaborate meetings on the zoning of offices and I can tell you all the zones will be accommodated . ”

It was gathered that the South -West might get the position of either the Secretary to the Government of the Federation or that of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Atiku cabinet .

South – West critical to our struggle –Atiku

Meanwhile , Atiku has also said that the South – West is critical to his team ’ s struggle to liberate the country from the grip of the All Progressives Congress .

He said it would be wrong to assume he had decided to neglect the zone because he didn ’ t pick his running mate from there , insisting that every part of the country would benefit from the available political offices and positions .

Atiku , who spoke through the Head of his Media Campaign Organisation , Mr Segun Sowumi , said there were no plans by his team to forget any zone .

He said , “ Every part of Nigeria is important to us . The South – West is very critical to our struggle to liberate the entire country from the grip of the All Progressives Congress .

“ Our candidate has bought into the clamour by the zone for a restructured country . Apart from this, we have only given the slot of the VP out .
“ There are other positions like that of the President of the Senate , SGF , Speaker of the House of Representatives , Head of Service and ministerial positions .

“ I can assure you that all Nigerians , in every zone , will be carried along. ”