Atiku Wins PDP Presidential Ticket

…How Wike’s Plan to Install Tambuwal failed

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has emerged the presidential flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, as the party’s on-going convention at Port-Harcourt, Rivers State.

The Turaki Adamawa clinched the party ticket with 1,532 votes at the expense of Aminu Tambuwal (693), Bukola Saraki (317), Rabiu Kwankwanso (158), Ibrahim Dankwambo (111) and others.

The contest was not without the intrigues and horse-trading that has become synonymous with the PDP presidential conventions. Findings by TheCapital show that some forces attempted to join forces and form a common front against Atiku when it was become crystal clear that he would have an upper hand, as he has a strong political ground game that saw his supporters echoing their preference for him loudly resonating around the four corners of Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium.

Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State, in the company of Ayo Fayose, had swung into action when he reached out to Kwankwaso and Dankwambo pleading that they step down for Tambuwal, whose emergence majority of PDP governors worked for. After immense pressure and negotiation, the duo agreed to step down but only for Sule Lamido. Pressure was then mounted on Lamido to in turn step down for Tambuwal; an offer which Lamido vehemently rejected. Lamido’s refusal was the catalyst that threw the game open, as Wike and Fayose told their network to vote for whomever they deemed fit.

This weakened the effort to form a common front to defeat Atiku whose presidential ambition dated back to 1992 when he was prevailed upon to step down for late MKO Abiola, the presumed winner of the botched 1993 presidential election.