Al-Mustapha emerges PPN presidential candidate

MAJOR Hamza Al-Mustapha, former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, on Sunday, emerged the presidential candidate of Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN).

Al-Mustapha polled 3,564,262 votes to beat other presidential aspirants, Dr Imuetinyan Igbinnosa who had 2,183,856 votes and Chief Isiaka Olorunnimbe, who garnered 1,400,755 votes.

Chairman, PPN Presidential Primary Elections Committee, Hon Dare Adekolu, who collated election results from the 36 States and the FCT at the PPN Presidential Primaries/2018 National Convention which held in Ado Ekiti, declared Al-Mustapha as the party’s presidential candidate.

Adekolu, who is PPN Ekiti State Chairman, while urging members and Nigerians to support and vote for the party’s flagbearer for the 2019 presidential election, said: “PPN has come to redeem Nigeria. PPN has come to save Nigeria from poverty, lack, unemployment and underdevelopment, hence the need for support.”

In his acceptance speech, Al-Mustapha, who was represented on the occasion by Zakaria Husseini, promised Nigerians good leadership and promised to salvage the country and put it back on the path of growth and prosperity.

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Husseini, who described the PPN flagbearer as a detribalised, patriotic Nigerian and experienced administrator, assured that Al-Mustapha would “provide the missing link in governance in Nigeria and ensure better lives for the citizenry in all spheres of the economy.”

In his address, PPN National Chairman, Hon Razak Eyiowuawi, who expressed confidence that with the party’s flagbearer, the road was clear for PPN to win the 2019 presidential election, described the party as the country’s live-wire with its emphasis as agriculture development.

Eyiowuawi said: “the popularity, wealth of experience and Major Al-Mustapha and his appeal to a wide spectrum will help the party to victory. PPN is a force to reckon with. We are going into this election which we believe we can win with a positive mind.”

The PPN chairman, who dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the 2019 presidential election would be a straight fight between APC and PDP, said his party was the party to beat, saying: “Major Al-Mustapha will take over from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

“Remember PPN is part of a coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP). Apart from the fact that our party can win the election on its own, our candidate is expected to emerge as the CUPP candidate for the presidential election and will defeat Buhari.

“I know that PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will work with Major Al-Mustapha when our candidate emerges as CUPP presidential candidate. Nigerians can be rest-assured of the value of lives, the welfare of workers, education development and repositioning of the economy among others under Al-Mustapha’s government,” the PPN National Chairman said.