The Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has given more insight into the kind of administration that the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, would run if sworn in as president on May 29.
The director-general of the PCC of Atiku/Okowa in Anambra State, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, said the PDP candidate would run a government of national unity, explaining that the six chief governance positions including Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives, Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), service chief and others, will be shared amongst the geopolitical zones.
Atiku had during his engagement with the Nigeria Guild of Editors (NGE), November last year, hinted that his priority would be to engender national cohesion and peaceful coexistence among the different ethnic nationalities of Nigeria.
In doing so, he said: “PDP will form a government of national unity. In 1999, we had two presidential candidates from the south, and the PDP won resoundingly well. But we had a government of national unity.
“We had APP, AD ministers, and the country became one. This provided the peace and stability that we want. This is what I intend to do. PDP will set up a government of national unity. It is one of the ways to unite this country. Every section or geo-political zone will be carried along in appointments into every sector. We will unify this country.”
Okonkwo, who noted that there is much tension in the country because the PDP’s achievements in the area of Nigeria’s unity had been squandered by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with its government of exclusion.
He said that the entire South East geopolitical zone had been clearly excluded from government since the APC government came into office in 2015, stressing that the zone does not occupy any of the six topmost positions in government.
The Atiku/Okowa campaigner further disclosed that the former Vice President has given assurance that the ‘Category A’ ministerial and extra-ministerial positions would be evenly distributed to the zones.
Okonkwo, who stated that this was the case under the PDP for 16 years, pointed out that it will lead to inclusion of the people of South East in governance unlike the current situation.
He appealed to the zone to support Atiku in the February 25 poll, saying that it was important for them to be part of the baking of the cake in order to participate when it will be shared for eating.
“People should recall that under the past PDP government, it was like that. During Obasanjo, it was Senate President for South East, during Yar’Adua it was Deputy Senate President, and during Jonathan it was SGF before Buhari came and everything changed. Anyim was the last SGF before Buhari came in. All those things will come back. So, a PDP government under Atiku will guarantee all that. And then the South East will still get key ministries in the PDP government. I am talking as the DG of the campaign in Anambra, the good old days will return,” he said.
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