By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Former Nigeria’s Vice President, Mr Atiku Abubakar, has emerged the presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2019 poll.
Mr Atiku picked the sole presidential ticket of the PDP at the party’s 2018 elective national convention held in Port Harcourt in Rivers State on Saturday.
Business Post reports that 12 aspirants contested for the ticket, including Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Senate President Bukola Saraki, former Senate President David Mark, former PDP National Chairman Ahmed Makarfi and others.
However, at the end of the exercise on Sunday, Mr Atiku polled the highest number of votes to emerge winner of the contest.
He garnered votes 1,532 votes, while his closest rival, Mr Tambuwal raked 693 votes.
The third place was occupied by Mr Saraki, who got 317 votes, while Mr Rabiu Kwakwanso took 158 votes.
Before he was declared winner, while the counting was still going on, contestants congratulated him when it was obvious that his votes had passed Mr Tambuwal’s.
Chairman of the convention committee, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State said a total of 68 votes were invalid, while less than 3,300 delegates were accredited to partake in the exercise, which was adjudged as free, fair and transparent.
With the win, Mr Atiku will slug it out with President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the February 2019 presidential election.
