By Temidayo Akinsuyi
The Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar on Sunday said he is confident of victory with the choice of his running mate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State.
In a newsletter titled ‘Okowa Is An Asset To You And I’, Atiku who rejected the report of the PDP panel recommending Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State as his running mate, explained that Okowa satisfied all the qualities he desired in who will serve as the vice-president if the party wins as both of them shared the same personality.
He said, “The first most important decision that any candidate for an executive position in a democracy must make is the choice of a running mate”.
The office of the president, in particular, requires that the holder of that office must have clarity of the mind on decision-making. That is why in countries that have acquired more experiences in democratic acculturation, the choice that a presidential candidate makes about their running mates, and how they make the decision, provides a window of assessing their preparedness for the job that potentially waits ahead of them”.
“In meeting up with this expectation, and more importantly to ensure that I make a pick of a running mate that you shall be proud of, it became necessary for me to be introspective about my choice”.
“The Governor of Delta State, His Excellency Dr Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa and I share a lot of personality attributes in common.
“He is a fine gentleman, but tenacious. His experience as a Senator will come in handy in some of the legislative reforms that are urgently needed to reformat our governmental processes”.
“Ifeanyi and I are incurable optimists in the future of Nigeria and the promises it holds as one united, peaceful and prosperous country. Having him on the ticket brings a lot of assets to our campaign.
“In the months ahead to the general election, together with other great leaders of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party and, with your esteemed support, we shall work very hard to ensure convincing victory for our party”.
