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Folake Sokoya
The Director General of the Atiku Campaign Organisation, Gbenga Daniel, has said his principal will pick the Secretary to the Federal Government (SFG) from the South West upon winning the presidential election in 2019.
He said this would be appropriate as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has already chosen his running mate, from the South Eastern part of the country.
Daniel made thus known during a chat with pressmen in Lagos on Sunday.
According to him, the choice of the former Governor of Anambra State,Peter Obi, as Atiku’s running mate was to carry along the South-East.
“It remains the prerogative of the Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar to choose who becomes his vice, minister, and other executive members,” said Daniel.
He said with the continued cry for marginalization emanating from the south-east, it was not out of place choosing a running mate from the region especially owing to the cosmopolitan nature of Atiku Abubakar whom he said believes in true federalism.
Daniel said PDP had initially zoned its national Chairmanship to the South West, but later picked Uche Secondus from the South South.
“Based on my interactions with the Wazirin Adamawa, the Secretary to the Federal Government (SFG) is surely coming to the South-West.
“What is paramount to the people of the South West is restructuring of the country, which Atiku is very serious about,” he stated.
The former state governor also revealed that the campaign manifesto of Atiku Abubakar will soon be out and it would be published as soon as the campaigns kick off.
He added that Atiku stands the better chance to serve Nigeria better than President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progresives Congress APC) because Atiku has a better blueprint for the development of the country.
Responding to a question, Otunba Gbenga Daniel urged the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, to do away with personal ego if he is truly interested in ensuring that an Ogun West candidate emerges as his successor in the running of the 2019 general elections.
However, he sympathized with the people of Ogun West, having lost the APC governorship ticket to Prince Dapo Abiodun, an Ogun East candidate.
He charged people from Ogun West not to blame the people of Ogun Central and Ogun East for their problems.
“The problem of the Ogun West people is in the hands of the people of Ogun West.
“Ogun East (Remo and Ijebu) is homogeneous in nature, likewise the Ogun Central. They speak the same language. But the same is not applicable in Ogun West district where we have sub ethnic groups, like the Awori, Ketu, Egun, Ohori, Yewa, Eyo, Anago and others.
“Whether we like it or not, the Ogun West people are the minority.
“For instance, Ado-Odo/Ota local government which falls within the purview of the Awori has the largest population, including the voting patterns, than the four other local governments. And in Ogun West senatorial district, they have five local governments.
“Even in Ogun West, they are still saying Imeko is a minority and not a full-fledged Yewa town.
“I could recall when I was trying to sell Peince Gboyega Isiaka to the people of Ogun West in 2011, they asked me, “how can they now go to Imeko to pick a governorship candidate, without going to Ilaro, which is the administrative headquarters of Ogun West?
“Ogun West need to know where they are and where they are going. Go and pray, if God says it would happen in Ogun West, so be it.
“There is a popular saying that, once an opportunity is lost it can never be regained, but they can still regain it, if they can work hard and with a lot of prayers and sentiments,” Daniel said.
