Saraki Will Emerge as PDP Candidate, Says Okupe

The Chairman, Media Committee of Abubakar Bukola Saraki Presidential Campaign, Dr. Doyin Okupe has assured that his principal will emerge as the presidential candidate of PDP on Saturday. He made this declaration in an interview granted our correspondent in Port Harcourt on Thursday.  

Okupe took time to reel out the great qualities of Saraki which have cut him out as the best out of all the competing aspirants of the PDP.  He described Saraki as a quintessential leader with an intimidating track record of achievements.  Okupe said, “We have arrived the garden city where the presidential candidate of PDP will be elected. It is a great event that will determine and shape the future of Nigeria.  Dr. Bukola Saraki is a man that has been aptly described as a man for this season – aman that has inborn proclivity for leadership.”

Okupe also drew comparison between the depth achievements and antecedents of both Saraki and his late father Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki.  He said, “he has an exemplary pedigree that is important for this type of post. His late father, Dr. Abubakar Olusola Saraki was a medical practitioner and Bukola Saraki is a medical doctor. His father was a leader of the Senate and he is the Senate President. His father was Waziri of Ilorin and he is the Waziri of Ilorin”. 

“Only a very few successful politician can point to such a magnificent record. Besides, he has been a two-term governor of Kwara State. He was a Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum. As a senator, he is currently the Senate President and the Chairman of the National Assembly. Prior to that, he was a Special Adviser to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Budget Affairs”. 

Okupe further narrowed down on contributions of Saraki to the growth of Nigeria’s democracy as well as the acceptability and his chances in the national convention. 

He said,  “This man has been accepted widely across the country as the defender of our democracy – the man who has stood to withstand fire and fury from the incumbent government. The man that has stood even in the face of arms and yet he was unbowed”.

 He also extolled the virtues of Saraki and the impression of Nigerians, particularly the youth about the Senate President.

“He is a great, confident, courageous, competent and cerebral personality. He is a shining light in the political firmament of the PDP.  Having gone round the country with Saraki, I am amazed at the level of his acceptability in virtually every zone of the nation. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has become a national phenomenon and his ideology and policy to grow Nigeria has become a doctrine especially amongst young Nigerians”. 

 Okupe also spoke on the acceptability of Saraki in the northern part of the country. He further said, “Even some of the Northern elders are fully in support of Bukola Saraki because many of them feel that his late father lived and died for the north. When there were signs of disunity in the north, the late Oloye traversed the length and breath of the north to bring everyone together. Many people in the north, particularly elders now feel that it is about time to pay back the late Olusola Saraki with a good measure by supporting his son”. 

Okupe is quite upbeat on the chances of Saraki in the convention on Saturday. He said, “We are here to compete fairly and contest with all seriousness. We recognize the obvious potentials of fellow aspirants. Virtually every of PDP aspirant is incomparable with leadership of the incumbent political party. Bukola Saraki has a wide range of support within the rank and file of the PDP.  A clear majority of serving state governors in the PDP are backing Bukola Saraki. And this is a very determinant factor on who emerges the party’s flag bearer on Sunday”.  

He further said, “The message of Saraki, which is inclusiveness, equity and the programme to grow Nigeria is unrivaled and this is what he has consistently preached all over the nation. This has no doubt found great acceptability amongst the delegates and the people of Nigeria”. 

Okupe was full of appreciation to those saddled with the responsibilities of the convention. He said, “We have absolute confidence in Governor Okowa who is the Chairman of the Convention Committee as well as his team. We also appreciate the genuine hospitality of the Chief host, Governor Inyesom Wike. We also commend the National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus and his team for the provision of a transparent convention. It is transparency and fairness that will allow a winner to clearly emerge and for others to accept”. 

He equally spoke on the magnitude of heavy weight aspirants that are billed to take part in the convention and their qualities. “This convention is a contest of champions. Each of the aspirant is a champion in his own and what we are having on Saturday is a battle of champions from which one will invariably emerge. And the overall champion at the end will be Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki” said Okupe.