Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2018 presidential primaries to emerged the flag bearer of the party for the 2019 presidential election.
Announcing the result of the primary held at Adokie Amiesiekema stadium in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the chairman of the party’s 2018 special convention and Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifanyi Okowa, said former Vice President Atiku polled the total of 1,532 votes to defeat his close contender, Aminu Tambuwal, who polled 693 votes to come a distant second, alongside 10 others.
Daily Trust observed that Atiku’s victory is largely based on his commitment for restructuring of the country if elected president come 2019.
Our correspondent observed that all the delegates from South South and South East voted for him, and even Rivers State who were allegedly rooting for Aminu Tambuwal, later voted for him.
Atiku’s emergence followed series of political gimmicks and intrigues, after several meetings to enable the aspirants come up with a consensus candidate failed to produce result as aspirants failed to step down, but demanded that the party’s candidate be chosen through popular votes.
Earlier, all the presidential aspirants had pledged to work with anyone who emerged among them as the party’s candidate to ensure that the PDP defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019 general elections.
Speaking shortly a while ago at the national convention ground, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, described the convention as the most freest and fairest primary ever conducted by the party.
Our correspondent also learnt that Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State alongside delegates from the state, among others, were influential to Atiku’s emergence at the just-concluded party’s primary.
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