By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – Before Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate chose Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State as running mate on Friday, there had been subtle behind the scene struggle between the South west and South east on which zone should produce the vice presidential candidate of the main opposition party.
No sooner had Atiku emerged as the PDP flag bearer than the talk of his running mate started. But it was gathered that the search was limited to the South East region of the country before the Southwest decided to try its luck.
Recall that during a meeting on Sunday night with the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee at the Legacy Office of the party where issue of the likely running mate was deliberated, the party had asked Atiku to submit his preferred candidate as running mate to enable the party discuss it with him.
However, the party had insisted that whoever would be chosen as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar must apart from being younger and grounded in the area of economy, he or she must have electoral value; possess a track record of competence, character and integrity and that the selection would be collectively taken. It was based on this that former finance and economy minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was considered a suitable choice that could be beneficial to the ticket given her global contacts and her vast knowledge and competence on economy.
However, as exclusively reported by Sundiata Post, it was gathered that during closed door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president objected to the choice of Okonjo-Iweala as vice presidential candidate of the PDP.
Political pundits believe that a right choice of vice presidential candidate of South east or south west extraction is desirous to dislodging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the centre. It is on account of this that the south West and South East were contesting for recognition and selection for the VP slot.
The political scheming from these two groups took diverse approaches – some in form of appeal; others made reference to party loyalty and commitment; while others referred to performance in previous official positions while others tried to whip up sentiments.
Former Deputy National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party Chief Olabode George yesterday pleaded with the party stakeholders in the Sout East region to concede the position of running mate of the party standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar to the South West.
According to him, the South East should concede the running mate slot to South West now in the event that Atiku wins the presidential election next year and takes eight years in office so that whenever the pendulum shifts back to the south, the presidential slot would automatically go to South East. He went further to say that if the region decides to take the vice presidential slot now; it should not desire to produce president after spending eight years as vice president. Such calculation, he said, would not work because the region cannot produce the vice president and president for 16 years. “Putting into consideration the importance of numbers in the coming election and the need to defeat APC, South West stands a better advantage in terms of registered number of voters, Bode George said.
Similarly, Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in the South East in a statement sent to Sundiata Post on Friday kicked against any attempt by Atiku Abubakar and the PDP to contemplate denying the South East the position of Vice President in 2019. The group made up of 15 Civil Society Organisations (CSO) said the South West is not equitably fit for either presidency or vice-presidency of Nigeria after 2019. It insisted that it would amount to political suicide and another round of orchestrated, calculated and decades-long political repression and exclusion against the People of the Region in Nigeria if the South East is denied VP slot in 2019.
The group reminded that “no citizen of the Southeast or Igbo heartland has occupied the presidency of Nigeria whether as military or democratic since 1990 or past 28 years. No citizen from the Region has also occupied the position of the vice president in the past 28 years or since 1990. Except Atiku Abubakar’s vice presidency between 1999 and 2007, no citizen of the Northeast Region of Nigeria has occupied the seat of Nigeria’s presidency since 1990 or past 28 years; whereas the Southwest and the Northwest Regions have taken two shots both at the country’s presidency and vice presidency since 1990.”
Also, the Yoruba Alliance Group lent its voice to the search of a running mate for PDP’s presidential candidate and pushed for a possible selection of former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode by reminding Atiku of the former sterling qualities. According to group, Fani-Kayode was an achiever as the Minister of Aviation under President Olusegun Obasanjo. As minister, God used him to stop the air disaster that had became the order of the day prior to his appointment.
The two-time minister played a prominent role as the spokesman for the 2015 PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation when he successfully restored glory to the party whose image had been battered in the media before his appointment.
The group added that Fani-Kayode defected to the opposition in protest against the failure of the PDP leadership to rise up in his defence but saw himself rather as being persecuted by the PDP-controlled Federal Government until the courts discharged and acquitted him seven years later.
Chief Fani-Kayode returned to the party the moment he discovered that the APC was planning to impose a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket which could have thrown the country into confusion and crisis.
Since he returned to the PDP, Chief Fani-Kayode’s loyalty, dedication and commitment has not been in doubt. He has been in the war zone with Governor Ayo Fayose and Governor Nyesom Wike fighting for the party against the APC-controlled Federal Government at a risk to his life and property.
“Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has been the voice to the voiceless especially for the victims of the ongoing genocide in the north central part of the country and that unleashed against IPOB. This has endeared him to the hearts of many in those volatile areas and among the Nigerian Christians whom he has been consistently defending unsolicited. He is one of the few who has been consistently been speaking for those who are being detained unjustly, especially, Col Sambo Dasuki and El Zakzaki. The implication of this is that his followers cut across all shades and divides.
“Chief Fani-Kayode is bold, courageous, patriotic, outspoken, articulate, intelligent and dedicated to duty and all these qualities are needed in the battle ahead to rescue Nigeria and place her back on the path of progress and prosperity.
“Lastly, we are using this forum to strongly implore the leadership of the PDP and their Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to adopt Chief Femi Fani-Kayode as the running mate of the party and this step will go a long way to win for the party more votes from across”, the Yoruba Alliance Group declared.
However, as it turned out, the call came a little too late. Atiku and the PDP inner caucus had made their choice. Its is an Atiku/Obi ticket that will confront APC’s Buhari/Osinbajo in February 2019.
