Former vice-president and serial presidential aspirant, Atiku Abubakar, has emerged as the presidential candidate of the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party.
Atiku emerged as a candidate at the end of the presidential primary after polling 371 votes.
He defeated the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who scored 237 votes.
Other aspirants with the number of votes polled include Bukola Saraki – 70; Sam Ohuanbunwa – 1; Anyim Pius Anyim – 14; Udom Emmanuel – 38 votes; Bala Mohammed – 20.
It was earlier reported that the Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, had withdrawn from the presidential race and had given his support to the former Vice President.
Atiku had in 1993, contested the Social Democratic Party presidential primary, losing to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingibe.
He was a presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 presidential election coming in third to Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP.
He contested the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2011 presidential election losing out to incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
In 2014, he joined the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2015 presidential election and contested the presidential primary and lost to Muhammadu Buhari.
In 2017, he returned to the Peoples Democratic Party and was the party’s presidential candidate during the 2019 presidential election, again losing to incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
In his acceptance speech, Atiku pledged to make security and the unity of Nigerians his topmost priority when elected President in 2023.
He appealed to PDP members to come together in the interest of the party and Nigerians who have placed their hopes on the PDP.
Atiku said this in his acceptance speech soon after he was returned as the duly elected presidential candidate of the PDP, in Abuja, on Saturday.
He said: “Today history has been made. The History which we believe will bring about fundamental changes in our electoral system.
“Today, we witnessed one of the freest election in the history of our great party.”
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