2019: Why I Picked Peter Obi As My Running Mate – Atiku

Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has clarified why he picked former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi as his running mate.

Earlier reports say Atiku was considering making selection from list of technocrats which was handed to him.  The list include: former governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Prof. Charles Soludo; former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina; and former Managing Director of Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON), Mr. Chike Obi.

The list also has politicians like, former governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, and the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

The aforementioned was because the party hierarchy were still undecided between the South-West and South-East, on the zone the position should be allotted.

Both zones were believed to have helped Atiku neutralise the Northern zones’ delegates’ votes that went to Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, during the presidential primary on Saturday, a Thisday report says.

But the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCO) Friday night confirmed that former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, had been picked by the Peoples Democratic Party Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, as his running mate.

APCO also gave reasons why Obi was picked, explaining that his choice was largely influenced by his youthfulness, vast knowledge of global and local economics as well as being a financial expert, an experience which it said Nigeria was in need of at this point in time.

In a statement issued Friday night, the Director General, Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCO), Otuba Gbenga Daniels, described Obi as an astute professional who had laid his footprints across the corporate world.

Daniels said Obi, born on 19th July, 1961, attended the Christ the King College, Onitsha and later proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy.

He said Obi was also a graduate of several international and national institutions such as the Lagos Business School, Harvard Business School, London School of Economics, Columbia Business School, Institute of Management, Switzerland, Kellogg Graduate School, Oxford University and Cambridge University.

He said Obi was the Chairman, Board of Security and Exchange Commission (SEC); former Chairman, Fidelity Bank PLC; former Chairman, Guardian Express Mortgage Bank; former Chairman, Future Views Securities; former Chairman, Paymaster Nigeria; former Chairman, Next International Nigeria; former Director, Guardian Express Bank PLC; former Director, Chams Nigeria PLC; former Director, Emerging Capital: former Director, Card Centre PLC.

Daniel said Obi is a member of the British Institute of Directors (IOD), Nigerian Chartered Institute of Bankers and Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).

BigPen Online reports that the announcement of Peter Obi on Friday was to beat the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline for the submission of names of parties’ candidate which expires on Monday, next week.