Barring any last-minute changes, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar will on Tuesday unveil the party’s vice-presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, reports THISDAY.
According to the report, Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State tops the list of contenders for Atiku’s running mate as the odds favour South-South region following concerns that the emergence of former Anambra governor Peter Obi as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) will swing the South-East votes in favour of LP.
The leadership of the opposition PDP had after the emergence of Atiku as the presidential candidate of the party set up a high-powered committee to drive a rancour-free emergence of his running mate.
The committee convened several discrete meetings where it met with Atiku and other stakeholders.
A source privy to the meetings told THISDAY that “the committee has met with all concerned and would unveil its choice Tuesday ahead of the June 17 deadline for the submission of the names of the PDP presidential candidate and his running mate to INEC.”
The source disclosed that the committee narrowed the search for Atiku’s running mate to the South-south geopolitical zone following the concern that the South-east will vote massively for the Labour Party’s candidate, Obi.
He explained that under this circumstance, the main opposition party now believes that its strength lies in the South-south as it is also believed that the South-west would be a no-go area for the PDP because of the emergence of the former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Tinubu, as the presidential candidate of the APC.
The source further disclosed that two governors of the South-south, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and one other unnamed governor are the two major contenders for the PDP vice-presidential ticket.
“Though the leaders of the party believe that the conduct of the unnamed governor is not befitting of a vice presidential candidate, he is being considered because it is believed that he has enormous financial prowess to finance the PDP presidential campaigns. The governor is unfit for the job and that is why Okowa is at the top of the list,” the source added.
According to THISDAY investigations, the PDP has mounted pressure on the governor to accept a ministerial position.
It was also gathered that the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is ruled out because she prefers to remain in her current position.
The PDP stakeholders are said to be concerned that the emergence of Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) would erode APC and PDP votes in the North-west.
The source said that the APC had won in all the 44 local government areas in Kano State in 2019 with 1.4 million votes, while the PDP got 391,593 votes.
“With the rising profile of NNPP, the APC may not have votes again as was the case in 2015 and 2019. So, the party is depending on its stakeholders in the North-west to rein in more votes for Atiku in the 2023 general election.”
On its part, the APC is considering the Senate President, Lawan; Governors Lalong, Bagudu, Buni, Badaru; and the Secretary to the SGF, Mustapha, for the position of the running mate to Tinubu.
Also being considered by the ruling party are the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Ms. Mohammed; former governor of Borno State, Senator Shettima and Imam.
It was gathered that Mohammed is being considered for gender balancing.
(Adapted from a report by THISDAY)
