Former vice-president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has commenced a consultation and familiarization tour across the country beginning from July 16, 2018 ahead of the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku began with a scheduled visit to Gombe State on Monday then proceed to Borno State on Tuesday, Taraba State on Wednesday and Adamawa on Thursday.
The Director-General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation and former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, in a press statement issued and made available to Journalists, Alhaji Atiku will commence the South West visitation on Monday, July 30 in Lagos while that of North East will start from Jigawa on August 6th with North West, South East and North Central scheduled for August 7th, August 13th and August 15th respectively.
An official reception in respect of his presidential ambition has been slated for Saturday July 21st in Yola by the Adamawa State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, tagged “Mega Rally”.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable released in January mandates all political parties to conduct party primaries including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries between August 18 and October 7, 2018.
Atiku is expected to battle the former governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido; governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo; former governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa; former Chairman of PDP National Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi; former governors of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso and former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, for the ticket of the PDP in the 2019 election.