Politics
Ex-PDP nat’l chairman, Kawu Baraje speaks on Okowa as vice presidential candidate
A former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje has said that Nigeria’s current economic downturn can only be saved by the party’s Atiku-Okowa’s presidential ticket.
Baraje gave the affirmation in a inteeview with Royal News on Tuesday where he revealed the rationale behind the party’s choice of Delta state Governor, Patrick Okowa, as the running mate of its presidential candidate and former vice president of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The PDP chieftain highlighted Okowa’s complimentary, supportive and goal-getter personality to be attributes that endeared him to become the party’s choice.
“Governor Okowa is going to support Atiku to salvage the country from the economic doldrums that we find ourselves, from the insecurity that is killing the nation.
“ He has been a two time commissioner and was very complimentary to his boss, he has been secretary to the Government of Delta State he was highly complimentary, that is why he was invited by his people as a serving senator to come and be the Governor of the state and we could see what his performances were.
“Governor okowa isn’t an inconsequential personality, he is going to be a performing vice President, somebody that will give full support to the President ,he is going to be a highly complementary vice president to Atiku Abubakar,” Baraje said.
Speaking on PDP chances in the southern part of the country ahead of 2023 polls, Baraje expressed optimism that electorates in the South will opt for the PDP due to the age long vibrancy of the vice-presidential candidate and on the fact that the region most assured of presidency with the party come 2027.
“Despite the presidential candidate of the APC and Labour Party coming from the South, the electorates will still go for the PDP candidate, Because of reach, age, vibrancy, because of political dexterity of the candidate.
“Also because of the assurance that in 2027, the presidency will shift to the South and not only to the South but to the South East where we know there has been a lot of agitation and all these are part of the criteria that PDP put into permutations before they come out with Okowa.” he said.
The astute politician averred
that the battle for supremacy at the polls won’t be decided by either the North or South, but the success would rather be decided at the central where series of cross party movements is already on going, a move which he predicts will swing in favour of his party, PDP.
“The battle is not in the south, there are some states that actually create some swings and Delta is one of them, Rivers and Lagos are part of them ,coming to look at where is the battle, the battle is in the central part of the country, and I know definitely some of us coming from the central are loyalists to PDP.
“We are sure that a lot of swings will take place in the central that will give PDP a positive advantage towards election in 2023, as far as I’m concerned, the South belongs to the PDP.” Baraje submitted.
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