Atiku Abubakar, who emerged presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday, has praised former President Olusegun Obasanjo for the role he played in his development in politics.
He paid tribute to Obasanjo on Sunday while giving his acceptance speech at the PDP convention venue in Port-Harcourt, Rivers state.
Atiku emerged winner of the party’s presidential primary with 1,532 votes while his closest contender, Aminu Tambuwal, polled 693 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Atiku said he learnt a lot under Obasanjo when he served as his deputy from 1999 to 2007.
He also described the primary election as the most credible since the return of democracy in Nigeria.
Atiku said: “Today, we are witnessing a landmark event. A landmark event in the sense that since the rebranding of our great party, the PDP, and infact I daresay, since the return of democratic rule of governance in this country, we have witnessed the most credible transparent and fair primaries.
“Let me also commend my fellow competitors for displaying a sense of unity, a sense of purpose and a sense of commitment. This is a very rare event; my fellow compatriots have really shown that the interest of the party and that of the people of this country is paramount and more important than our individual interest.
“I want to pay tribute to each and every one of them assure you that I am ever ready to work with each and every one of them for the realisation of the victory of our party in the forthcoming elections.
“I cannot do it alone, I need your support, your assistance, I need your understanding and I need your participation. It is not a one man’s job, it is a collective responsibility and I am prepared to listen to you, to take your advice, consult with you, work with you and together, we’ll succeed and after we succeed, we shall all be partners in that success.
“Finally, on a personal note, I wouldn’t have been standing where I am standing today if my former boss, President Olusegun Obasanjo have not made me his vice-president.
“Under his tutelage, I learnt quite a lot and I believe the experience and care I got is going to definitely impact on how we eventually govern this country, I wish to pay my personal tribute to him.”
Result of PDP presidential Primary:
| Candidate | Score |
|---|---|
| Atiku | 1,532 |
| Tambuwal | 693 |
| Saraki | 317 |
| Kwankwaso | 158 |
| Dankwambo | 111 |
| Lamido | 96 |
| Makarfi | 74 |
| Bafarawa | 48 |
| Turaki | 65 |
| Mark | 35 |
| Jang | 19 |
| Baba-Ahmed | 5 |
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