Fasehun hails Atiku’s emergence, praises PDP’s internal democracy

OODUA People’s Congress (OPC) on Tuesday hailed the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the party’s national convention which took place in Port Harcourt, the River State capital.

Founder and president of the socio-cultural group, Dr Frederick Fasehun, said this in a press statement made available to newsmen in Lagos, declaring that the PDP Convention had made a nationally popular decision by electing Abubakar as its flagbearer.

This was just as the OPC founder specially singled out former President Olusegun Obasanjo for praise over what he termed his silent support and fatherly role in the emergence of Atiku as the PDP candidate.

According to Fasehun, “PDP has done the very needful by giving Nigerians a formidable opposition candidate who not only is capable of giving the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) a good fight at the general elections but stands an enormous chance of actually winning the coming presidential polls.”

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The OPC leader, while urging the 11 other presidential gladiators who contested against Abubakar to close ranks and throw their weight behind him, said that they should respect the wishes of the party delegates.

“The task to enthrone a truly democratic government of Nigerians, by Nigerians and for Nigerians will not be an easy one, and all hands must be on deck to give Nigerians a government of their dream,” Fasehun said.

The OPC founder praised the PDP convention for once more demonstrating that the party remained the country’s foremost custodian of democracy as well as an organisation with an unbroken consistency in maintaining internal democracy.

Showering encomiums on the former Vice President Abubakar, the OPC chieftain said the PDP presidential candidate was a foremost nationalist, whose personal character, business successes, administrative experience and formidable political credentials marked him out as the leader Nigeria needed at these trying times.

“I became familiar with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the Third Republic when we were both leading figures in the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

“The Atiku I know is an experienced businessman, a detribalised Nigerian and a conscientious politician who, given the chance, is capable of taking the country to great heights in the areas of the economy, education, security and infrastructure,” he said.

While maintaining that OPC was non-political, Fasehun pledged that the organisation would extend a hand of fellowship towards the enthronement of a truly democratic and progressive leader for the country.