Former Vice President and presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar has selected Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate for next year’s presidential elections.
Atiku picked Okowa on Thursday to beat the deadline given by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for political parties to choose their vice presidential candidates on or before Friday, June 17.
Speaking at the announcement event, Atiku said making a choice between the three names had been a difficult decision.
He described Okowa as a fighter who has mastered the art of politics and has been steadily rising to prominence in his state, Delta and PDP as well.
Atiku said: “I held wide consultations with various stakeholders in our party including our Governors, National Working Committee, Board of Trustees, and other leaders to seek their inputs and their wisdom.
“In these consultations, I made clear that my running mate would have the potential to succeed me at a moment’s notice, that is, a President-in-waiting.
“In other words, the person must have the qualities to be President. The person must have an appreciation of the deep rot which our country has been put into by the rudderless APC government; understands the great suffering that most of our people are going through and the urgency of relieving them of that suffering; understands the critical importance of economic growth and development to provide our young people with jobs, hope, and a pathway to wealth.
