Three Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants, David Mark, Governor Aminu Tambuwal and Senator Ahmed Makarfi, on Saturday, stepped up their lobby for the ticket of the party.
While Mark was in Bayelsa State to seek support for his aspiration, Tambuwal was in Niger State to get the blessing of former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, just as Markarfi went to Sokoto to woo delegates from the state.
Babangida, while hosting Tambuwal, described him as a grounded politician who understands some of the challenges confronting the country and is endowed with capacity to solve them.
“I am very proud that you belong to the generation that wants to keep Nigeria together as one. You have a good team and I have no doubt that Nigeria will give you the opportunity to put these ideas into use for the good of the country,” he said.
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Earlier, in his remarks, the governor said he was in Minna as part of his nationwide consultation to seek the blessings of the former leader.
In Yenogoa, the Bayelsa State capital, former President Goodluck Jonathan said former Senate President of the Senator Mark was capable of uniting Nigeria.
Jonathan, according to a statement by Mark’s Media aide, Paul Mumeh, stated this in Yenagoa, Bayelsa state while playing host to the David Mark Presidential campaign team.
The statement quoted Jonathan as saying that Mark remains a man with a strength of character and clear conscience, adding that such a person is needed to rebuild a fragmented and disunited Nigeria in 2019.
Jonathan was also quoted as saying that Nigeria has never been so disunited than now adding that “we are only existing superficially and this is very dangerous.”
He recalled: “As President of Nigeria, I worked harmoniously with Mark as President of the Senate. He demonstrated patriotism and loyalty to his fatherland. His colleagues admitted that he is a detribalised leader. He is the kind of man the nation needs now.”
Jonathan expressed optimism that the PDP would get it right in 2019 elections.
Mark noted that Nigerians now knew the difference between light and darkness, saying that he possessed the experience, knowledge and skill to bring the nation out of the social and economic malaise within two years, if elected.
Makarfi reaffirmed his confidence of clinching the presidential ticket of PDP.
Markarfi, a former interim national chairman of the party, stated this when he paid visit to the state office of the party in Sokoto on Saturday, urging party delegates in the state to consider him as their favourite candidate.
He said the security of lives and property should be paramount to every responsible leader, “Therefore, I assure to bring an end to incessant killings across the state.”
“If we are to win election,we must consider spirit of together ness,lure some of the members of ruling party,” he told the delegates.
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