Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today give former Vice President Atiku Abubakar his certificate of return as presidential candidate of the party.
The event which will hold at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja will have in attendance party’s governors and members of various organs of the party, the national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba, stated in a statement.
Atiku emerged PDP candidate for a second time in four years, at the Velodrome of the MKO Abiola National Stadium Abuja late Saturday, scoring a total of 371 votes to defeat his closest rival, Governor Nyesom Wike who scored 237 votes.
He has since moved to calm frayed nerves in the aftermath of his victory. Atiku met with his top contenders for the party ticket namely Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, former Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki; Akwa Ibom State governor Udom Emmanual; and former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim.
The former vice president personally went to the residences of the aspirants in Abuja in a move to plead for their support ahead of the main election.
He had shortly after his emergence met with former Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to thank him for withdrawing from the race and urging his supporters to vote for him (Atiku).
Ologunagba said, “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) invites all our Governors, Governorship Candidates, Presidential aspirants, members of the Board of Trustees, members of the National Assembly, all other candidates of the party and all critical stakeholders to the Special Ceremony of the Presentation of Certificate of Return to our Presidential Flagbearer, H.E. Atiku Abubakar (Waziri Adamawa) GCON.”
The former vice president is expected to unveil his running mate shortly after he gets his certificate of return. Although the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) and other stakeholders have indicated interest to help in the search for Atiku’s running mate, some front liners for the position are Rivers State governor, Wike and his Delta and Akwa Ibom State counterparts Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and Udom Emmanuel.