Former Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has shared details of how former President Olusegun Obasanjo suggested several potential running mates for him ahead of the 2019 election.
According to Atiku, Obasanjo recommended Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi as possible choices.
In an interview with Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, published by Daily Trust on Wednesday, Atiku revealed that despite ultimately choosing Peter Obi as his running mate, he faced criticism for not consulting widely within the party, especially over the exclusion of former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Atiku recounted: “In 2019, when I won the ticket in Port Harcourt, I came back here and then went straight to Abeokuta to meet my boss, President Obasanjo, and told him, ‘Mr. President, I have got the ticket.’”
He continued, explaining the conversation that followed: “So he asked me, he said, ‘Okay, from where is your running mate going to come from?’ I said, of course, it’s either South-east or South-west. He said, ‘No, leave South-west because I was there for eight years. Go to the South-east.’ I said, ‘Okay, sir.’”
Atiku went on to share that he dismissed Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as a potential candidate, explaining, “I told him Ngozi was not a member of our party. I believe if I forward the name to the party, they will reject it.” He also noted Obasanjo’s suggestion of Charles Soludo, to which Atiku responded that Soludo, too, was not a member of the party and would face rejection.
According to Atiku, Obasanjo then proposed Peter Obi as a suitable choice. “He said, ‘What about Peter Obi?’ I said Peter Obi is a member of the party. So that was it,” Atiku recalled.
Atiku continued by explaining how he later brought the matter to the party leadership: “So I came back here in this very same building, very same room, and it was a morning meeting of the party leaders—Uche Secondus and others, including Wike himself and Tambuwal. I remember there were about seven of them. I said, ‘Look, I have been to my boss, and this is what he said. Do you have any objection? You are leaders of the party and also leaders of the governors’ forum.’”
After receiving assurances from the party leaders that they had no objection, Atiku proceeded to announce Peter Obi as his running mate. However, he noted that some members of the party later criticized him, claiming that he had not consulted enough before making the decision.
Reflecting on this experience, Atiku said, “They said I did not consult with the party enough. So in 2023, I threw the whole thing to the party. I said, ‘Okay, set up a committee and recommend three people for me to pick as running mate.’”
