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Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar, has met with with governors elected on the platform of the party over preparations for next polls.

We gathered that a meeting at the PDP presidential campaign headquarters, Legacy House, in Abuja, attended by the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, discussed issues relating to who will be the party’s vice presidential candidate and other issues relating to the prosecution of the polls.

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Prior to the conduct of the PDP presidential primary, the governors, it was also gathered, had resolved that one of them would be the party’s vice presidential candidate, in the event that they failed to clinch the presidential ticket.

Four PDP governors, including Nyesom Wike, Udom Emmanuel, Bala Mohammed and Aminu Tambuwal of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi and Sokoto states had indicated interest to be the opposition party’s presidential standard bearer. Atiku, former vice president, polled 371 votes to clinch the PDP ticket.

In the aftermath of the presidential primary, the focus of party leaders have shifted to the choice of a suitable running mate for the former vice president.

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Already, different interest groups are drumming support for either Wike, Emmanuel or the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, to be chosen as the PDP vice presidential candidate.

Tambuwal, who is also the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the meeting, confirmed that the presidential candidate consulted the governors on issue of a running mate.

The Sokoto governor, who said the parley with Atiku was a consultative, while responding to question on the issue of vice presidential candidate, said: “It is part of the consultation. It is ongoing and we have also been consulted on that.”

He added that Ayu during the meeting thanked the governors for their roles in ensuring the success of the convention.

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According to him, “the national chairman came to thank the governors for their various roles in the convention. And we have talked about cooperation and prosecuting a very successful electioneering that will result into victories for the PDP for various elections starting from Houses of Assembly, National Assembly, governorship and the presidential election in February 2023.

“It is more of a consultative meeting on the way forward.”

Governors present at the meeting were Tambuwal, Wike, Emmanuel, Bala Mohammed and Okowa.

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Also in attendance were governors Douyi Diri, Samuel Ortom, Seyi Makinde, Godwin Obaseki, Darius Ishaku and Ahmadu Fintiri of Bayelsa, Benue, Oyo, Edo, Taraba and Adamawa states respectively.

(Sun)