I have 11m votes in the bag, Atiku begs PDP NWC

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, says he has 11 million votes already ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku said this on Thursday when he visited the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ask for support from the National Working Committee.

He asked the party to offer him the right of passage to use his votes.

“Under normal circumstances, this is a guy who already has 11 million votes in his space. And I think as a party, you should give me the right of passage to use the votes,” he said beating his chest.

Atiku had scored 11,262,978 votes to emerge second behind President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) n the 2019 presidential election.

He, however, urged the party to “provide the right kind of leadership to present a good candidate.”

He thereafter said, “…and I am the best candidate.”

The former vice president asked the leadership of the party to be fair, transparent and credible in producing a flagbearer for the party.

Responding, PDP National Chairman. Iyorchia Ayu said the NWC will remain unbiased and will not take sides but that each aspirant will get the support of the party.

“I know each of you, if given the opportunity, will do better than what APC has been doing. At the primaries we will elect a candidate and we will all rally round that candidate

“I will not work for you. I will work for all the 17 aspirants. It is left to you to convince the delegates, market and sell yourself to the delegates,” he said.