CHAIRMAN of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Chief Gboyega Oguntuwase, has said the presidential candidate of the PDP in next year’s election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will be accepted by Nigerians because “poverty is speaking loudly against Buhari.”
Chief Oguntuwase said in an interview that Atiku was not new on the Nigerian political scene, saying “the reality on ground in all parts of the country, including the North West where there is the belief that President Muhammadu Buhari will have an edge, is that there are evidence of poverty and non-performance and the people know this.”
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The Ekiti PDP boss held that against the contention in some quarters in the country, “Atiku is not a dark horse, he is not a man who has just emerged in the Nigerian political scene. He has evolved within the Nigerian political system.”
According to him, the PDP candidate had laid a foundation for his acceptance across the country by his past deeds, contending that he had from the days of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), worked to earn a reputation as an acceptable politician.
“When you look at the Yar’Adua political dynasty, you’ll realise that Atiku played a major role there. And that’s the old SDP. When you look at the emergence of Chief MKO Abiola as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, even though not sworn in, Atiku played a role that will make him attractive to the South West.
“If not because of the withdrawal of Atiku, the victory of Abiola would not have been total, it would not have been absolute and it would have had the colouration of sectional victory.
“Even while the Yoruba and the South East would have voted massively, you’ll realise that the North would have gone the way of Atiku. And if we are not careful, there are some people in Oyo and Osun who probably would have gone the way of Atiku; but the decision of Atiku not to contest against the interest of Moshood Abiola made it easy for the South West to produce a winning candidate in the person of MKO,” he argued.
Chief Oguntuwase added that “during the second term of Baba Obasanjo, if Atiku had been interested in contesting for the presidency at all costs, it would have made the dream of our father, Baba Obasanjo very very traumatic. He would have won, but it would have been like a camel passing through the eye of the needle.
“So, by his actions from the past, Atiku has created goodwill in the South West and some parts of the North West, where some people believe he would be having problems in getting votes.”
According to him, “those who knew his antecedents with Yar’Adua from Katsina will know that he will have a good showing in the North West, even in Katsina. And again when you look at his entrepreneurship history, you realise that those who are advocating for a dynamic economic policy will surely vote Atiku.”
He argued that the South West, the North Central and in the South East, Atiku was acceptable “because APC has disappointed all of them,” and added that “in the North East, there is no way Atiku would not make a headway. And in the North West where many people think Buhari could have an edge, poverty is speaking too loudly against Buhari.”
He said “so, it is a reality on the ground, against sentiments. And reality on the ground will make Atiku win in the South West. And the ability of Atiku to bring almost all who contested against him to be involved in his campaign for presidency will make him win.”