Saraki Congratulates PDP Presidential Candidate — 72y.o Atiku
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The President of the Senate and Chairman of the 8th National Assembly, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has congratulated the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] presidential candidate, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on his victory.
Atiku Abubakar emerged winner after polling a staggering 1,532 votes ahead of his contemporaries Aminu Tambuwal, who polled 693, and Dr. Saraki, who garnered 317 votes.
The election took place at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt with about 3,274 delegates taking part in the primary.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Saraki congratulated Atiku in a series of tweets for his victory, saying he “deserve this victory”.
The Senate President assured Alhaji Abubakar that he and other aspirants will work with him to ensure that he emerges as Nigeria’s next President come 2019.
See tweets:
We always knew from Day 1 that only one candidate would emerge. On behalf of all the aspirants, I want to assure Alhaji @Atiku Abubakar that we will work with you to ensure that come 2019, you emerge as Nigeria’s next President. #PDPPresidentialPrimaries
— Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) October 7, 2018
Today is a great day for our party, @OfficialPDPNig, because it has shown what men and women of our party can do. Today has shown that the interest of our party and the Nigerian people is more important than our individual interests. #PDPPresidentialPrimaries
— Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) October 7, 2018
The Fulani-born Waziri of Adamawa, businessman and politician beat 11 other contestants to face another tribesman, incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari in the February 2019 presidential election.
Atiku, a native of a Fulani village of Jada in Adamawa state, was earlier at the end of votes sorting declared the winner of the primary by his agents Messrs Gbenga Daniel and Ben Bruce.
With the win, Atiku Abubakar would have to face incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari of APC and Mr Donald Duke of Social Democratic Party (SDP) and some others in the February 2019 presidential election.
About 3,274 delegates were at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt and took part in the primary which produced the following results.
Atiku Abubakar – 1,532
Aminu Tambuwal – 693
Bukola Saraki – 317
Sanator David Mark – 35
Sule Lamido – 96
Kabiru Turaki – 65
Donald Jang – 19
Datti Ahmed – 5
Attahiru Bafarawa – 48
Ibrahim Dankwanbo – 111
Ahmed Makarfi – 74
Rabiu Kwankwanso – 158
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72-year-old Abubakar, a businessman, who served as the second elected vice-president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), with President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Abubakar worked in the Nigeria Customs Service for twenty years, rising to become the Deputy Director before he retired in April 1989 to go into politics.
He ran for the office of governor in the Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba States) in 1991, and for the Presidency in 1993, placing third after MKO Abiola and Babagana Kingibe in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) primaries.
In 1998 he was elected Governor of Adamawa State. While still Governor-Elect he was selected by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate Olusegun Obasanjo as his running mate.
The duo went on to win elections in February 1999, and Abubakar was sworn-in as Nigeria’s second democratically elected vice president on 29 May 1999.
Abubakar’s second term as Vice President was marked by a stormy relationship with President Obasanjo.
Abubakar ran for presidency on the platform of the Action Congress, having quit the PDP on account of his issues with President Obasanjo.
Abubakar lost the election, placing third after Umaru Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).
He joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and sought the party’s ticket in 2014 but lost to President Muhammadu Buhari at the primary held in Lagos.
Abubaker defected again in May to PDP where he on Sunday clinched the ticket to tackle incumbent President Buhari in the 2019 presidential election.
Abubakar is a co-founder of Intels, an oil servicing business with extensive operations in Nigeria and abroad and founder of the American University of Nigeria (AUN).
Read the full statement of Saraki congratulating Atiku and lauding PDP, members for Successful convention below:
President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has congratulated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, for emerging as the Presidential flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the just concluded national convention of the party held in Port Harcourt.
Saraki in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media and Publicity), Yusuph Olaniyonu also commended the delegates to the convention and members of the organizing committee, led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State, for holding a convention in which a candidate was elected in a free, fair, transparent and rancour-free atmosphere.
“Our just concluded convention was a partisan event which the country can show-case as an example that democracy has a future in Nigeria and that when we are determined we can elect our leaders without any manipulation, intimidation and violation of the law and democratic norms.
“The credit goes to the leadership of our party led by Prince Uche Secondus, the organizing committee led by Governor Okowa, the numerous delegates who came from across the country and conducted themselves in a civil, mature and democratic manner. I give kudos to them.
“My commendation also goes to the government and people of Rivers State, for providing the best necessary facilities for hosting over 5000 delegates, campaign workers, security personnel, observers, media people and others who came to play one role or the other in the convention.
“More importantly, let me congratulate the winner and new flagbearer of our party and all the fellow aspirants for running credible and mature campaigns and working all along to reassure millions of our fellow party members and other Nigerians that PDP will leave the convention venue more united and ready to work together to form the next government at the federal and other levels in a manner that we will unite the country, grow the economy, carry along all stakeholders, empower the youths and make government serve the people better.
“Like I said in my speech at the convention after the official declaration of Alhaji Atiku as winner, all the other aspirants, especially myself, are ready to walk and work with him to spread the positive message of the PDP and his campaigns acrosss the nooks and crannies of the country such that the PDP will win the 2019 general elections.
“Those who expect that the party will degenerate into crisis after the primaries have miscalculated. We will all work for the Atiku-PDP ticket to succeed and contribute ideas into solving the problems confronting Nigeria today. The event in Port Harcourt between yesterday and today was a victory for Nigeria and for democracy. We will not lose the momentum but sustain it to rebuild Nigeria and elect Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the next President of Nigeria.
“I wish all our delegates and other participants in the convention journey mercies back home”, Saraki stated.
Signed:
Yusuph Olaniyonu
Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the President of the Senate
Contributions by the News Agency of Nigeria [NAN]
