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17 PDP Presidential Aspirants rake in N646m for party through forms

•Ayu to Amaechi: We don’t want president that can run round stadium like Usain Bolt, but can’t run railway transportation

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17 presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have been listed for further screening ahead of the party’s primary elections.

The aspirants are two-term governor of Kwara State and immediate past President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; former Speaker, House of Representatives, and Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; former President of the Senate and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim.

Others include former Minister of Federal Capital Territory and Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed; former Minister of State for Education and Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; outgoing Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel; 2019 PDP vice presidential candidate and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi; former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose; United States-based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze; and media mogul, Dele Momodu.

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Also successful are Investment banker and economist, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen; a pharmacist, Sam Ohuabunwa; former Speaker of Abia State House of Assembly, Cosmos Ndukwe; Charles Ugwu; as well as the only female aspirant in the race, Tareila Diana.

The party realised N640 million from the 16 male presidential aspirants and N6 million from the only female presidential aspirant, Diana, making the revenue generated N646 million.

The presidential convention of PDP is expected to hold on May 29 and 30.

Yesterday, also, the Akwa Ibom State governor addressed the party’s NWC on his presidential aspiration, likening the 2023 presidential election to a war, and required an experienced politician to carry the APC presidential ticket.

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Emmanuel stated, “Just to let the party know that we are challenged as a nation. The party is about going to war. And if you want to go to war, you cannot leave your generals and start dealing with recruits.

“You have the generals in your team and we’re ready to march on to victory. And I’m trying to let you know that if you will look around the country today, there are issues in Nigeria, so people want to see those that will bring solutions and not create more problems.”

He said Nigeria was challenged, “Because this is a country that you’d woke up one morning, if care is not taken, you wouldn’t have stories to tell our children. You come into the scene, you play the politics, with all your knowledge, with all your experience, with all the education, with all your exposure, how come you didn’t try, you didn’t even offer to serve your country?

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“I don’t want to be questioned like that in the next generation. So, today, I’m standing as one of those that have solution to economic issues. So, the solution for Nigeria, first of all, is to try and rescue our economic values in this country. I don’t want to go so much about the infrastructure, because that one, once you can rescue, with that you can actually reconstruct and restore the infrastructure that has decayed.”

Meanwhile, National Chairman of PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, yesterday took a swipe at Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, a presidential aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), for his alleged inability to manage the railway system in the country. Speaking after Emmanuel had briefed the party on his presidential aspiration, Ayu said Nigeria desired trusted and tested politicians, like the Akwa Ibom State governor, to manage the affairs of the country.

Ayu stated, in a veiled reference to Amaechi, “We don’t want presidential aspirants, who can run round the stadium, like Usain Bolt, but cannot run a railway station.”

He compared the presidential aspirants of the party to those of APC, saying all of them are qualified to run the affairs of the country better than President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ayu advised the PDP presidential aspirants to take their campaigns to the delegates, as their votes would decide the 2023 presidential candidate of the party. He also warned against mudslinging during electioneering campaigns, saying such would give the opposition ammunition to attack the party.

“Campaigns would be issue-based and not attacking each other or mudslinging,” the PDP national chairman said. He pledged that the party would conduct a transparent and fair presidential convention, as it had no preferred candidate.

(Thisday)