Atiku formally declares for 2019 Presidential race Saturday

• Unveils manifesto in Yola

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Waziri Adamawa, is expected to make formal declaration this Saturday, July 21, 2018 in Yola, Adamawa State for contest of the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The official declaration this Saturday is the culmination of over eight months of consultations, negotiations and horse trading with PDP stakeholders, elder statesmen, leaders of socio-cultural organisations and other citizens across the country.

Former Vice President Atiku in a statement from his Media Office indicated that the declaration will be made at a mega political rally in Yola, Adamawa State.

The statement highlighted that Atiku’s decision to join the 2019 presidential race is in response to the yearnings of majority of Nigerians to enthrone a government that will fix the country’s broken economy, strengthen national unity and create much-needed jobs for Nigerians.

“After extensive consultations with his family, Nigerians of diverse dispensations at home and abroad, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, has decided to make a formal bid for the 2019 presidential election on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”, the statement indicated.

PDP State Chairman in Adamawa State, Tahir Shehu, had on Thursday, announced that the State Party will hold a mega ‘welcome back’ rally planned to receive Atiku back to his home political party on Saturday in Yola. The State Chairman, at an interactive forum at the PDP State Secretariat, declared that if given the PDP ticket, Atiku Abubakar will send President Buhari packing from Aso Rock in the 2019 general elections.

Shehu was of the view that Atiku remains the only candidate with the requisite resources to confront and defeat the APC presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections.

The State Chairman celebrated that Atiku’s return to PDP is a “big catch” and potent block to rebuild the party.

Shehu maintained that the return of Atiku, alone, into the PDP, whether he chooses to vie for the presidency or not, was enough to make the PDP reclaim Adamawa State.

“Since the former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, the Waziri Adamawa, came to rejoin the PDP, Adamawa PDP has made a big catch. But there was never a time we organised any gathering that would ‘ginger’ the region and show the world that, yes, the former Vice-President is from Adamawa. That is why the Adamawa PDP chapter sat, negotiated and discussed and made consultations with all the stakeholders, from the grassroots to the top on the need for a mega rally, preparatory to Atiku’s declaration in Abuja,” Tahir Shehu had declared.

Meanwhile, Atiku had taken his consultation, negotiation and horse trading tour to the 36 states in the six geo political zones in Nigeria from the South West to the South East, North Central, South-South, North West and North East.

The statement from the media Office, however, maintained that the consultations and horse trading across the country would be sustained after the formal declaration.

The statement further indicated that Atiku’s declaration will be followed with the unveiling of a policy document that will give a clear direction to the solutions that the former Vice President hopes to bring to bear in governance if elected president of the country.

“The campaign’s policy documents being baked by policy experts from diverse backgrounds and youth professionals across the country will be unveiled as soon as the process is concluded.

“The policy document covers a large area of Nigeria’s national life including the economy, restructuring, education, healthcare, agriculture, youth and women development among many others”, the statement highlighted in brief.