DIRECTOR General, Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, on Sunday assured Nigerians that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2019 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will concede the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to the South-West if he becomes the next president of Nigeria, come 2019.
Daniel said this will be aside other ministerial and National Assembly positions that would be shared, amongst all the geopolitical zones in the country.
This was just as the former governor of Ogun State dismissed the various allegations of corruption being peddled against the PDP candidate, describing them as mere rantings of political opponents and the government in power.
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Otunba Daniel said this at a media parley in Lagos, while reacting to the insinuation that the choice of former governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, from the Southeast region as running mate to Atiku would affect the PDP’s support in the South-West
According to Daniel, contrary to such insinuation, “What the South-West hinged its support for Atiku is restructuring and not necessarily targeting the position of vice president and in any case, but I can authoritatively say that our flag bearer has promised to concede the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to the South-West apart if the party wins the presidential election aside other ministerial and National Assembly positions that would be shared.”
The PDP chieftain contended that the fact that the zone currently occupied the post of vice president under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was not adding any value or improvement to the region, adding that it was important to give the South-East a sense of belonging.
This, he said was because the zone had never occupied either the presidency or vice presidency post since the country returned to democratic rule in 1999.
“The fact that Southwest currently occupied the post of vice president under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not adding any value or improvement to the region and more over it is important to give the South-East a sense of belonging because it never occupied either the presidency or vice presidency post since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999,” Daniel said.
The former governor, however, said the PDP presidential candidate’s manifesto on restructuring was being put in place, noting that Abubakar had already met with all the groups that were championing the cause across the country.
“The fundamentals of restructuring as far as Atiku is concerned has been settled,” Otunba Daniel declared, assuring that the former vice president had the prerequisite understanding of the nation’s economy and nationalistic tendency to drive the nation out of its present socio, political and economic quagmire compared to the incumbent, President Muhammadu Buhari.
On charges that the PDP standardbearer was corrupt, Daniel dismissed the various allegations being peddled as mere rantings of political opponents and the government in power.
According to him, what is being churned out is allegations, saying that the government had not made any charges, adding that the APC-led government was fighting corruption wrongly and its economic approach cannot take Nigeria anywhere.
“What we are hearing is allegations but the government has not been able to make charges. The incumbent administration is fighting corruption wrongly and its economic approach cannot take Nigeria anywhere.
“I wouldn’t blame President Buhari because it is not possible to give what you lack but giving Atiku a chance, with his wealth of experience in businesses, governance and exposure across the country and the world, he will take Nigeria to greater height,” Daniel said.
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