Another presidential candidate withdraws, backs Atiku

Sokoto APC chieftain dumps Buhari
Barely three days to the presidential elections, National Interest Party (NIP) candidate, Eunice Atuejide, has withdrawn from the race and expressed support for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard-bearer, Atiku Abubakar.

Atuejide said in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday that she stepped down because her race for the presidency was programmed to end on February 16 “and it had ended.”

“Therefore, the presidential election rescheduled for Saturday, February 23, 2019 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not involve me,” she said.

According to the lawyer, the race is now between President Muhammadu Buhari and, Atiku, adding that she was now committed to supporting Atiku, who she considers a better candidate. “I choose to fight for the benefit of all Nigerians on the side of Atiku. I cannot defend PDP for giving us bad leadership from 1999 to 2015, yet I cannot help but blame the APC for doing a much worse job from 2015 to 2019.

“Whether we call them PDP, APC, PPA, ANN, YPP, or NIP, we are all the same people moving from one political platform to the other in search of a place to speak out and be heard,” she added.

However, Sokoto State chapter of the PDP welcomed North West Zonal Vice President of the Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Sani Muhammad Gobirawa, who defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Gobirawa, a top member of the Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) in Sokoto and Vice Chairman, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (AMATA) Support Group, also said his defection with others in the BSO was voluntary.He explained that their decision was based on their conviction that PDP was the most fulfilling political platform that symbolises democracy for Nigeria to work again.

“Our decision to join PDP was purely based on our firm conviction of the ability and capability of Governor Aminu’s reality and myth, as such, we don’t need the approval or inclination of any family to actualise our political aspirations,” he stated.