• PDP to pick Presidential candidate May 26
• Former VP Atiku seeks collective efforts against nation’s challenges
Barely 24 hours after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) opened the doors for the sale of nomination forms to aspirants for all positions, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has got his.
The party, at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday evening, announced that it would conduct its national convention to nominate its presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections on May 28 and 29, 2022.
It has also fixed May 21, 2022, for the conduct of its governorship primary elections to pick its governorship candidates.
The party also approved guidelines for the conduct of its primaries for all elective positions, fixing the presidential expression of interest form at N5 million and the nomination form at N35 million.
The venue for the presidential primary election has not been fixed.
The North East Business Forum, led by its chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Dalhatu Funakaye, purchased the expression of interest and nomination form for Atiku.
The forum said it bought the form in fulfilment of the promise it had made to Atiku in November 2021.
It was also learnt yesterday that Atiku would make his formal declaration to contest the 2023 presidential election next Wednesday in Abuja.
In a remark at a brief occasion to receive the expression of interest and nomination forms, Atiku called on all Nigerians to engage in a collective fight against the country’s challenges.
He pointed out that no single individual could solve the nation’s problems.
Atiku also assured that his presidency would not be a friend to ethnic and religious sentiments.
He said: “We have never faced these challenges before. Our unity is threatened; our economy is in its worst state of affairs and our security is a disaster.
“We should all address these challenges together because they require all hands on deck. Nation-building is not an easy job let alone a nation faced with these challenges.”
On the need to stand against ethnic, religious and regional sentiments, the former vice president noted that the country’s challenges are greater than all differences.
Atiku said, “differences of ethnicity and religion is not in my character.”
He said that his Presidency would provide a sense of belonging to all parts of the country when he becomes president. He also called on Nigerians to be ready to sacrifice, adding, “it is not going to be easy.”
He commended the North East Business Forum for showing the way by making sacrifices from their businesses to purchase the forms. “The sacrifices have already been displayed by this business community in an environment that has become harmful to businesses.”
In a remark, pioneer chairman of DAAR Communication, Raymond Dokpesi, said: “We are fully ready to salvage Nigeria; we are set to confront various challenges.
“We are concerned about security, the welfare of the country, about youths and women too.
He announced, “We will declare interest to run for the presidency on Wednesday.”
In his own remark, Senator Dino Melaye, said since armed robbers forcefully took Atiku’s mandate in 2019, the people are ready to give him fresh mandate.
