PDP to Present Certificate of Return to Atiku, Others Today

•Sambo,  Lamido, Bafarawa, Hayatu-Deen visit party’s presidential candidate

•Party to conduct fresh governorship primary in Bauchi, candidate withdraws from race

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),yesterday, said it would present certificates of return to its presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar and other governorship candidates today, Wednesday, at noon.

This is as a former Vice-President of the party, Namadi Sambo; former governor of Sokoto State, Attahiru Bafarawa; former  governor of Jigawa State,  Sule Lamido and a former presidential aspirant, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, visited Atiku at his home.

In another development, the Bauchi State Chapter of the PDP, has completed arrangements for a fresh governorship primary in the state, a development, which has precipitated the withdrawal of the gubernatorial candidate of the party, Ibrahim Kashim, from the race, citing personal reasons.

However, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, the party has invited all the PDP governors, governorship candidates, presidential aspirants, members of the Board of Trustees, members of the National Assembly, all other candidates of the party and all critical stakeholders to the special ceremony of the presentation of Certificate of Return to Atiku, at the NEC Hall, PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja.

But the PDP stalwarts, who visited Atiku had done so following his emergence at Saturday presidential nomination convention.

In a tweet from his verified tweeter handle, Atiku said, “It was my honour and pleasure playing host to H.E Namadi Sambo, H.E Sule Lamido, H.E Attahiru Bafarawa and Alh Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.

“The congratulatory visit afforded us to discuss how to strengthen the bond of unity in our dear party, the PDP, among others.”

Also commenting on the rising insecurity in Nigeria, Atiku said a peace initiative is the best tool to mange and combat the situation.

“A peace initiative is the best tool to combat insecurity. When we unite our people, our peace is more guaranteed,” he said.

Meanwhile, But the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Bauchi, Yayanuwa Zainabari, yesterday, confirmed that a fresh exercise would be conducted because Ibrahim Kashim, said has withdrawn from the race as he no longer had interest in the election.

Zainabari stated that the PDP was following the process as enshrined in the law of the party and the electoral law.

“The former Secretary to the State Government of Bauchi State, Barrister Ibrahim Muhammad Kashim, has withdrawn his candidature and submitted his candidature since he stepped down on his own, the party is left with no option but to get his replacement through fresh primary election,” he said.

Kashim won the ticket of the party in the primary conducted last week, after the Returning Officer for the election, Hassan Ahmed Grema, declared Kashim, the sole aspirant, as winner, adding that he pulled a total of 655 votes out of the 656 votes while one was invalid.

In his acceptance speech shortly after the declaration, the former SSG said he accepted the mandate given to him by the delegates, declaring that that the contest for the 2023 had just began.

THISDAY checks, however, revealed that there was friction between Governor Bala Mohammed and the candidate after the primary election.

Unverified reports claimed the former SSG Kashim, against earlier “agreement” refused to hand over the ticket to Mohammed, who lost the PDP presidential ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.