The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will not only most likely pick his running mate from the South East but from either of two particular states in the geopolitical zone.
Recall that Atiku picked the PDP’s presidential ticket out of 12 aspirants by polling 1,532 votes at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt in Rivers State on Sunday.
Since he picked the ticket, rumours have been rife about who is running mate would be, with many pundits naming former Anambra Governor, Peter Obi as the most likely.
But according to The Punch, quoting unnamed but authoritative sources, Anambra, where Obi hails from, has been disqualified from producing Atiku’s running mate as it has recently produced many top national public office holders.
Anambra has produced two former speakers of the House of Representatives, two former presidents of the Senate, one vice president and a President.
Atiku’s former running mate, Sen. Ben Obi, also hails from the state.
Enugu is also said to have been disqualified, having produced a former national chairman of the PDP and the deputy president of the Senate for the past seven and half years, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu.
Read Also: How Nigeria Can Stop Being World’s Extreme Poverty Capital – Emir Sanusi
In the same vein, Imo State was reportedly disqualified as it had produced a former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and a president of the Senate.
The race to produce the vice presidential candidate of the PDP is believed to be left between Abia and Ebonyi, after the three other states in the geopolitical zone had been disqualified.
However, it was reported that the South West could yet produce a running mate to the Waziri of Adamawa as the party has said it would not impose any individual on Atiku.