Friday, June 17th is INEC`s deadline to political parties to submit their flag bearers and their running mates for the February 2023 presidential elections, and all parties are running round the clock to bit this deadline.
Peoples Democratic Party, PDP met on Tuesday to deliberate on the party`s options for the running mate for its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria`s former Vice President.
Options on the table includes contenders from the South East and South-South geopolitical zones who are strategically positioned to rescue the party from the challenges, which the emergence of Sen Bola Tinubu from the South West zone has thrown up.
Worthy of mention is the disclosure that the former state governors elected on the platform of the PDP have now made a choice from the numerous candidates fronting for the slot.
This was disclosed by the National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Iyiochia Ayu in his opening address on Tuesday at the meeting of the party`s select committee charged with selecting Atiku`s running mate.
“Various organs of the party are well represented in his committee —NWC, Governors Forum, National Assembly, former governors which have put forward their candidate” said Senator Ayu.
Clariform can confirm that the choice of these former PDP governors is from the South East. It is however, not yet clear who the proposed candidate is, but this will be disclosed in a short while.
The PDP National Chairman also assured that the party will beat the Friday deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (IINEC) for parties to submit candidate with running mate.
NOTABLE QUOTES
The PDP National Chairman`s opening remark at the meeting reads in part: “The presidential candidate of our party would have been here, but this morning he suddenly dashed somewhere.
“He apologised and if he comes early, he will join us. But we will go ahead with the assignment he has given us.
“The candidate wrote to us, as the administrative arm of the party, on the choice of his running mate.
“Various organs of the party are well represented in his committee —NWC, Governors Forum, National Assembly, former governors which have put forward their candidate
“This deliberation will be chaired by my able Deputy, Ambassador Umaru Damagum
“I wish you a successful deliberation and I hope you come up with a conclusion between tomorrow and Friday.
“Our presidential candidate, this time, has decided to carry everybody along unlike 2019 when he didn’t consult widely in his choice of running mate.”
