Former President Goodluck
Jonathan has pleaded with south-east leaders to accept the decision of Atiku
Abubakar to choose Peter Obi as his running mate for the 2019 election.
The VP pick of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate has elicited a protest from
south-east leaders who say they were not consulted.
PDP governors and leaders of the
region met on Saturday, reaching a resolution to meet with Atiku over the
matter.
Reacting to the development on
Sunday, Jonathan said a presidential candidate has a right to pick a running
mate of his/her choice.
He said Atiku’s decision does not
require “regional review and approval”.
A statement signed by Ikechukwu
Eze, Jonathan’s media aide, read: “The task before us is to build on this firm
foundation and momentum by pulling in one direction and working assiduously for
the victory of these candidates at the polls.
“It is against this backdrop that
I appeal for calm and understanding in the South East where my attention has
been drawn to the fact that some leaders of our party are openly expressing
their discomfort with the reported nomination of former Governor of Anambra
State Peter Obi as Atiku’s running mate. I am told that some of our leaders in
the zone have raised issues with the process of consultation that produced the
Vice Presidential candidate.
“I affirm that consultation is a
key ingredient in every political process. Nonetheless, in the selection of a
vice presidential candidate, a presidential candidate is allowed reasonable
freedom to select his running mate based on loyalty, trust, experience,
temperament and capacity to perform the responsibilities of the office.
Anything other than this could create tension and acrimony between the
presidential candidate and his running mate, even before the inauguration of
the government.
“My plea is for Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar to be given a free hand to choose who he wants to work with as his
Vice President without putting him through undue pressure. In this regard, only
minimal consultation is required which doesn’t necessarily have to involve full
regional review and approval.
“We have to be careful not to
give the impression that the process of selecting a Vice Presidential candidate
cannot progress until a regional stamp of approval is formally procured. The
system we are used to right from the First Republic is one that places the
choice of a running mate at the behest of the candidate, based on his own
convictions on capacity and compatibility.
“From my political history
beginning from Deputy Governor to President, I can say that this is the
tradition and standard practice in countries where either the President and his
Vice or Governor and his deputy contest election on a common slate. In such
instance, once a candidate emerges, he or she is given a free hand to select
the person who understands his vision and plans for the country, as his running
mate.
“I therefore want to directly
appeal to my brothers and sisters from the South East zone who are members of
our party to reconsider their position and allow the presidential candidate of
our party to select a candidate he thinks he can work with to be able to
achieve the party’s development goals. Since Atiku has nominated Mr. Peter Obi
as his running mate, I am pleading with my party members from the zone to
accept his choice.”
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