Ex-Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has emerged Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate for the 2023 election.
He won after polling 371 out of the 767 accredited votes to defeat his closest rival, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who polled 237 votes.
Trailing behind them is the immediate former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, who scored 70 votes.
A former Secretary to the Federal Government and a former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, scored 14 votes, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed 20 votes and Udom Emmanuel 38 votes.
Tarella Diana and Sam Ohuabunwa each got one vote each; while Dele Momodu, Ayo Fayose, Charles Ugwu, and Chikwendu Kalu scored zero vote each.
In his acceptance speech, Atiku pledged to make security and the unity of Nigerians his topmost priority if 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.
His words: “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 elections in the history of our great party.”
Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, had earlier withdrawn from the presidential race and had given his support to the former Vice President.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 the late Chief Moshood Abiola whose victory in the 1993 presidential election was annulled by the military regime of retired Gen Ibrahim Babangida.
This annulment threw the nation into a bloody and protracted struggle to press for the re-validation of the election. The struggle claimed the lives of many prominent activists including Abiola’s wife, Kudirat, while several others went on voluntary exile.
Abiola himself, was arrested and detained by the regime of late Gen Sani Abacha, for declaring himself president at his famous Epetedo, Lagos declaration.
Abiola who insisted on his mandate and refused to play ball with the military, later died in detention in controversial circumstances.
Atiku was a presidential candidate of the Action Congress in the 2007 presidential election coming third to Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP and Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP.
Also, he contested the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2011 presidential election losing out to immediate former 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 the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.
In 2017, Atiku 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.
