2023: PDP BoT To Meet Atiku Monday Over Running Mate,Strategy

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees  will meet with the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Monday over plans to pick a running mate.

It was gathered that the PDP BoT will also be discussing the strategy for winning the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

CityNews Nigeria reports that since Atiku emerged the PDP candidate names which include his closest challenger Governor Nyesom Wike, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor Udom Emmanuel and Emeka Ihedioha have all been touted as possible running mates.

A ranking member of the BoT told The PUNCH that even though the law allows the candidate to choose a running mate, the board would make an input.

The ranking BoT member said, “The party is aware of the sensitivity of the choice of a running mate and we want to be extra careful, because it can easily create a problem for us. The main party we are facing in the election is the ruling party (All Progressives Congress), so since we have a formidable candidate already, it’s only wise to complement that with a very formidable running mate.

“That is why we don’t want to leave anything to chance, and that is why the BoT wants to meet with our candidate on Monday. The idea is to celebrate the successful convention, discuss with him (Atiku) over the running mate and how to go about our campaign to win the election.”

Also confirming the meeting, another member of the BoT and former National Secretary of the party, Prof Wale Oladipo, said Atiku’s running will naturally be a Christian from the South.

He said, “I congratulate our National Chairman (Senator Iyorchia Ayu) and the National Working Committee for organising a hitch-free convention that produced a wonderful detribalised Nigerian as our presidential candidate. The next phase is the choice of a viable running mate, who will naturally come from the South and will be a Christian.

“The PDP is a structured party and it has all the structures and organs in place. We did not postpone our national convention, unlike some other parties that keep postponing theirs. We have all our organs in place, unlike some parties that do not even have a BoT. We have the BoT, National Executive Committee, national caucus and of course the NWC.

“Our party will summon meetings of all these party organs, because in our usual manner, it’s a family affair. We will consider all the variables and in consultation with the candidate, we will collectively choose an appropriate person as the running mate.

“What the law says is for the presidential candidate to choose a running mate, but in our party, it’s always a collective exercise. We all sit with the candidate and choose a running mate who will be acceptable to all Nigerians. We will do it in a timely manner and even beat the INEC deadline. I can tell you that work is going on in that direction.”

On the agenda of the meeting between the BoT and Atiku on Monday, Oladipo said it had yet to be released but that it would not be out of place for the board to discuss the issue of Atiku’s running mate.

“The BoT will meet with the presidential candidate on Monday and we will review our activities for the forthcoming elections. Luckily, our presidential candidate is a member of the BoT. He will brief us on his thoughts and we will have some inputs as elders of the party. Remember that the BoT is the conscience of the party,” he added.