There are indications that presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has narrowed his search for a running mate to the South East geo-political region.

LEADERSHIP gathered yesterday that the search for the party’s vice president’s slot has further been narrowed to Enugu and Abia States in the zone. The PDP has till October 18 to submit the names of its presidential candidate and his running mate to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in line with the commission’s timetable.

A PDP source who is privy to the decision at a meeting of the South East caucus of the party held in the build up to the presidential primaries said the position was further narrowed to the two South East states.


The source added that deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; former minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe were mentioned during the meeting. The space was also open to persons from other state in the zone, with former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, tipped as a possible choice in the event where those considered from the two states are rejected.

It was learnt the former vice president was open to work with the former minister of finance who has represented Abia State in the past but, stakeholders from the state opposed his choice. A move to replace the minister with the incumbent governor was also resisted by “other governors and party chieftains at the meeting who said he was not qualified for the position.

“The Enugu people put forward a serving Senator (Ekweremadu), while the name of a serving senator from Abia (Abaribe) was also considered. But so far, no name has been adopted. These are just names that he was presented with. He has to submit the names today.” It was also gathered that the South West has also launched a lobby for the position on grounds that it would serve as compensation for the way the region was sidelined during the national chairmanship contest last year, which went to the South South. Ohanaeze Gives Conditions For Support Meanwhile, Ohanaeze Ndigbo yesterday insisted that only a running mate from the South East will be a suitable pair for PDP to win the 2019 presidential election in the zone.

Reacting to the victory of former Vice President Atiku, Ohaneze Youth Council Worldwide led by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro said Atiku is the right man for the job.


The youth wing of socio-cultural group warned however that Ndigbo would work against PDP if Atiku fails to pick his running mate from the Igbo extraction. Isiguzoro said, “Majority of Igbos believes in Restructuring and majority of Igbo youths wants referendum because of the economic hardship in the country.

We believe that Atiku campaign for restructuring will win the hearts of Nigerians and a possible pair of running mate from South East will quell the quest for referendum by agitators and Igbo Youths. “We insists that any betrayal of denying Ndigbo the vice presidential slot of PDP will make Ndigbo dump PDP in the presidential election, but vote PDP in the gubernatorial elections in Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu”,. The group further said that the zone has better personalities like Peter Obi, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe who are fit for the vice presidential job. The group warned that it will work against the PDP by mobilising youths in the zone to vote for another party if Atiku fails to pick his running mate from the South East.


Atiku on Sunday defeated 11 other aspirants to pick the party’s ticket. He is main challenger to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in next year’s presidential election. Meanwhile, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), the umbrella body of over 40 opposition political parties, has congratulated the PDP and all other coalition parties in the grand Alliance for their successful primaries. Spokesperson of CUPP, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, in a statement said, “The end of the primary process of the individual parties today marks the beginning of the main work of the CUPP, which is to select a consensus candidate from the over 15 presidential candidates that have emerged from parties that are members of the CUPP grand alliance. “The process that will lead to the emergence of the grand coalition candidate of the CUPP will start in earnest this week. Sending the incompetent President Buhari-led APC government to the political dustbin of landslide electoral defeat is a task that Nigerians are eagerly waiting to accomplish with the CUPP come 2019”.

http://www.mcebisco.com.ng/2018/10/atiku-shops-for-running-mate-in-south.html

Buhari and Osinbajo

4+4

I want to see any reasonable omoluabis that will come here and tell me trash

I will support my son, brother and leader 100%

He should look for a viable running mate from the West, we have loads of juicy positions to give the easterners.

Truth is the VP slot or not, Atiku love the east and I don't see him neglecting us(south east and south south). We still need those west votes

Is like sarrki is on night shift, justify your 30k no time for play

I thought he left it all to the party?

Better to look to SE.

Forget that SW of CHAOS!
They are too two-faced!

Do you see ANY BETTER YORUBA MAN IN PDP?
Tinubu don white-wash dem brains and asses, they can’t see straight.

The election is between the southeast and southwest

CROWNWEALTH019:
He should look for a viable running mate from the West, we have loads of juicy positions to give the easterners.


Is like sarrki is on night shift, justify your 30k no time for play

Which shift wadata give you?

sarrki:


Which shift wadata give you?

I wail for free, I wail cause I once loved Nigeria.

CROWNWEALTH019:

I wail for free, I wail cause I once loved Nigeria.

You never did

You are not a patriot

You do for the stomach infrastructure

I’m just laughing in Spanish. I want to see how the Yorubas will abandon their son Osinbajo for an Atiku/Igbo candidature.

2019 will be interesting. Haha

sarrki:
I want to see any reasonable omoluabis that will come here and tell me trash

I will support my son, brother and leader 100%

Were you planning to support anyone else?

No sane Yoruba will abadon their own(Osinbajo) supporting another tribe for VP...If care is nt taking Yoruba will crying like our brother from the other side claiming marginalization in Atiku government but that won't happen...PMB till 2023

If he picks from the East, Osibanjo factor will play out it the west and will be very hard for the north to vote for him cos of the political rifts between the Igbos and most part of the country

Iblad0994:
I’m just laughing in Spanish. I want to see how the Yorubas will abandon their son Osinbajo for an Atiku/Igbo candidature.

2019 will be interesting. Haha

Not possible. If he picks Igbo he should forget any SW vote. That's a banker. And even if he gets all southeast votes...he will still be roundly defeated... Igbos don't understand Nigerian politics... I'd rather support Osinbajo even if I dislike Buhari than support an Atiku with a Igbo VP!

Meanwhile the IPOB and massob are sure to enforce no voting agenda.... PDP cannot afford such nonsense! That was how they killed GEJ's career in 2015!!

I'll even give an AOC a southwesterner like Dr Akinwunmi Adesina. If he picks Fayose we are going with Osinbajo!!

olawalepopoola:
If he picks from the East, Osibanjo factor will play out it the west and will be very hard for the north to vote for him cos of the political rifts between the Igbos and most part of the country

Lol you are politically naive. Atiku will massively deplete buhari's Northern votes while taking almost everything ffrom the SS/SE bloc votes

CityNGR:

Not possible. If he picks Igbo he should forget any SW vote. That's a banker. And even if he gets all southeast votes...he will still be roundly defeated... Igbos don't understand Nigerian politics... I'd rather support Osinbajo even if I dislike Buhari than support an Atiku with a Igbo VP!

Winning the Nigerian presidency is not all about igbos and Yoruba's.There aare other ffour geopolitical zones at play

PaChukwudi44:

Winning the Nigerian presidency is not all about igbos and Yoruba's.There aare other ffour geopolitical zones at play

I am NOT going to debate this. If Atiku picks an Ibo candidate...then Buhari till 2023 in the SW. All the votes of SS and se will not save him.

sarrki:
Buhari and Osinbajo

4+4

Sealed

Iblad0994:
I’m just laughing in Spanish. I want to see how the Yorubas will abandon their son Osinbajo for an Atiku/Igbo candidature.

2019 will be interesting. Haha

your son osibanjo and buharihave destroy this country with hunger and corruption

CityNGR:

Not possible. If he picks Igbo he should forget any SW vote. That's a banker. And even if he gets all southeast votes...he will still be roundly defeated... Igbos don't understand Nigerian politics... I'd rather support Osinbajo even if I dislike Buhari than support an Atiku with a Igbo VP!

these yorubas are funny. For a ppl who had 8 years presidency in pdp and 4 yrs vp in apc without igbo having any yet, u ppl are surely bitter and greedy at the same time.

U call it sophistication. Of course its not that. Its evil greed. But wat do i know?

CityNGR:

I am NOT going to debate this. If Atiku picks an Ibo candidate...then Buhari till 2023 in the SW. All the votes of SS and se will not save him.

Atiku is not hoping on votes only from the SS/SE.This is not GEJ.Wake up dude.He is also a Muslim and a northerner and will pull significant votes from the core north aand middle belt. most yyorubas will vote APC anyway whether a sw VP emerges or not including you and Sarrki

olawalepopoola:
If he picks from the East, Osibanjo factor will play out it the west and will be very hard for the north to vote for him cos of the political rifts between the Igbos and most part of the country

he is going to pick from the east already. Pls dont vote him in the west. If he win nontheless, then u can suffer a little of wat the east has suffered in the past 4 yrs.

Dont forget many core north and middle belt go vote him. Just dont forget that

Bede2u:
these yorubas are funny. For a ppl who had 8 years presidency in pdp and 4 yrs vp in apc without igbo having any yet, u ppl are surely bitter and greedy at the same time.

U call it sophistication. Of course its not that. Its evil greed. But wat do i know?

Yadayada SW VP or Atiku loses in a landslide

CityNGR:


Yadayada SW VP or Atiku loses in a landslide

Sorry dear. No single region alone can decide that.Landslide indeed

PaChukwudi44:

Atiku is not hoping on votes only from the SS/SE.This is not GEJ.Wake up dude.He is also a Muslim and a northerner and will pull significant votes from the core north aand middle belt. most yyorubas will vote APC anyway whether a sw VP emerges or not including you and Sarrki

Atiku is no match for Buhari in the North especially if Yoruba is swinging the other side.

PaChukwudi44:


Sorry dear. No single region alone can decide that.Landslide indeed

My boy, SW VP is a good step in the right track for uninstalling the APC government

CityNGR:

My boy, SW VP is a good step in the right track for uninstalling the APC government

Most SW peeps are voting APC so it would be a very wrong move

CityNGR:

Atiku is no match for Buhari in the North especially if Yoruba is swinging the other side.

Buhari will lose massively in the North central and lose a huge number oof votes from the NE/NW.The SS/SE will make up for the SW

BUHARI WILL LOSE WHETHER ATIKU PICK VP FROM INDIA OR CHINA OR EVEN GHANA