APC PRIMARIES: BUHARI WINS

• Atiku, Kwankwaso, others accept defeat
• PDP welcomes Buhari, says Jonathan still the best

Former Head of State, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday emerged the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as he crushed his four opponents with a very high margin.

Contrary to political permutations that former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, would give Buhari a hard fight for the APC ticket, he came a distant third, losing to Kano State Governor, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, who came second in the election widely adjudged to be transparent and competitive.

Nigerian Pilot had on Wednesday exclusively reported that Gen. Buhari would emerge the APC standard flagbearer because of the overwhelming support he enjoyed from the party’s national leadership and 12 of the governors elected on the party’s platform.

In the report, Nigerian Pilot categorically stated that the 2015 presidential race would be a straight fight between President Goodluck Jonathan and Buhari, adding that it would be the second time, the duo would square up for the office.

Buhari proved our report right when unlike other contestants, he came to the convention venue with an already written victory speech.

He scored the highest votes of 3, 430 or 57.2% of the 5, 992 total valid votes cast by the delegates to defeat Governor Kwankwaso, who had 974 (16.2%) to Atiku’s 954 or 15.9%. Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, a late entrant into the race, came fourth with 624 votes (10.4%) while LEADERSHIP Newspapers Publisher, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah, occupied the rear with 10 votes or 0.16%).

While 6,008 delegates were accredited to vote at the primaries, 16 votes were declared invalid.

Except for Nda-Isaiah, other aspirants joined the podium when the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun invited them to concede defeat and congratulate Buhari for his victory. They promised to work with him and the APC so that the party would produce Nigeria’s next president in 2015.

After repeated calls on Nda-Isaiah to join the platform with a no-show, Odigie-Oyegun went ahead to call on the contestants to make their post election remarks.

Surprisingly, Atiku, who had during his vigorous campaigns, described Buhari as a fundamentalist, who is not needed by Nigerians at this time, poured encomiums on the winner, describing him as a patriot and true democrat fit to occupy the Presidential Villa next year. He promised to work with Buhari to ensure his victory at the presidential polls on February 14, 2015.

In a statement later issued by his media office, Atiku said that since the delegates had spoken, Buhari fully deserved the victory.

He said: “I am very confident that you will provide the needed leadership to turn this country around. I have no doubt that you will work with dedicated and qualified Nigerians to protect our citizens, improve our economy, create jobs, improve education, reform governance and fight corruption. You will indeed bring the change Nigerians have been yearning for. Once more, congratulations.

“I congratulate the other contestants, namely Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and Rochas Okorocha, as well as the erudite Sam Nda-Isaiah. You have all demonstrated your commitment to democracy by participating in this transparent process and by campaigning vigorously across this country.

“I thank our delegates for their sacrifices and their commitment to democracy. In particular, I thank those who voted for me for your faith in me. However, since we came up short, we have to now rally behind Gen. Buhari to help him prevail in the coming presidential election,” Atiku said.

Kwankawaso also congratulated Buhari and promised to work for his success at the polls.

Governor Rochas Okorocha added humour to the event when he provoked a rancorous laughter with his “My people my people” campaign trade mark. Odigie-Oyegun had set the stage for the burst when he introduced Okorocha as “My governor, my governor.”

Okorocha said he conceded defeat to the winner because “there is another day to do it again.”

An elated Buhari rolled out his five-point agenda when elected as the next president of the country, which he weaved around the provision of honest leadership, tackling the current security challenges, rapid development of the economy, religious tolerance and repositioning of Nigeria on the international arena.

He also promised to give his all to Nigeria if elected as the country’s president. Buhari said that his administration would not tolerate religious intolerance, stressing that his victory was for both Moslems and Christians.

Highlights of the convention was the presentation of the APC symbol (the broom), the party’s manifesto and constitution, with an admonition by Odigie-Oyegun to study them to prepare adequately to govern the country.

PDP welcomes Buhari, says Jonathan still the Best

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has welcomed the emergence of Buhari as the Presidential flagbearer of the “Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress, APC in the 2015 general elections.”

In a statement it issued last night, the ruling party said this would be the fourth time Buhari would be contesting in the presidential elections, adding that, “on each of the three previous occasions, he failed to articulate a vision of the future that was acceptable to Nigerians. On each occasion his brand of politics was rejected across Nigeria. Apart from changing to a dinner suit, Gen. Buhari has not changed the tired ideas and provocative utterances that Nigerians rejected in previous elections.

“We hope that this time round, Gen. Buhari will conduct a campaign that is issue-based and devoid of ethno-religious sentiments.

“We are convinced that the PDP remains the only truly National political party in Nigeria, a platform on which all Nigerians can pursue their legitimate aspirations.

“We also believe that despite the distractions, President Goodluck Jonathan has a genuine record of accomplishments on which to run and deserves a second term. President Jonathan’s re-election will guarantee unity and stability for Nigerians. His second term will also deliver prosperity to Nigerians.

“Finally, in the words of our own President, “the choice before Nigerians in the coming election is simple: A choice between going forward or going backwards; between the new ways and the old ways; between freedom and repression; between a record of visible achievements and beneficial reforms and desperate power-seekers with empty promises,” it said.