With the emergence of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi as the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party respectively, the spotlight is shifting to the running mates.
Atiku emerged the winner of the PDP presidential primary held last Saturday, while Obi picked the ticket of the LP on Monday.
Nigerians have said that the two candidates must choose running mates that would not be a clog in their wheel of progress, but those that share their views of a completely new Nigeria in all respects.
Speaking with BusinessDay, Anthony Azu, a legal practitioner said although the need for ethnic and religious balancing is very important, Atiku, Obi and other presidential candidates must look for competent men and women with proven track record of excellent performance in their past assignments.
He said: “The urgent task for the next president is to restore the unity of this country. Once that is achieved, we can then build every other thing on that foundation. As it is now, Nigeria is so fragile that no matter what you try to build on it, it would not stand until the re-engineering work is done first.
“That being the case, this is not the time for ethnic and religious considerations, though very important, they must look out for people that share their vision; men and women of integrity and character.”
The legal practitioner said the running mates must also be men and women that have the burden of the country in their heart.
“The economy of Nigeria has been messed up over the years, the vice presidential candidates must be those that have the same passion that I have seen in Atiku and Obi. They have a precedent. We have seen what they have done in the past; we have seen their contributions to the economy of the country; so, those who should work with them must be like-minded in the best interest of Nigeria,” he said.
An Abuja-based legal practitioner, Osita Nwanjo, while speaking on the choice of running mates for the candidates, advised that both the PDP and Labour Party candidates should choose those with qualities that would complement them.
Nwanjo said: “Atiku and Obi must pick people of opposite qualities who can complement them. Obi is the quiet type; so he needs someone of opposite quality. Atiku, on the other hand, is a vibrant politician; so it will be wrong for him to pick someone like Nyesom Wike, for instance.
“Also they need people who are technically sound and can help them solve complex issues of governance.”
On their economic policies, Nwanjo believes that although they are good on paper, the actual implementations may be difficult.
“We have seen such documents before, but which were never implemented. So, while we believe that they are good on paper, their actual implementation will determine how many benefits they can attract to Nigerians,” he said.
Read also: Atiku gets Certificate of Return Wednesday
Emmanuel Dania, a former national chairman of the defunct Alliance for New Nigeria, urged Atiku to choose a running mate from the South-East, who should be an individual with sound knowledge of the economy and in support of the need to restructure the country as Atiku had promised Nigerians.
Dania said: “He has to look towards the South-East; someone from that region would help him, considering the gentleman’s agreement that the next presidential candidate of the party ought to come from that zone and now they are being denied.
“I think he needs someone who has economic sense to complement him, to help him revamp the economy – someone who understands the dynamics of the economy, that the government must be prudent. There is no money they have been borrowing to execute projects. It can also be someone from the South-South, but with roots from the South-East to pacify them.”
Dania added that there was a need for Atiku to place priority on agriculture to create jobs if elected, which would help the country in view of the rising food prices.
Idowu Omelegan, a lawyer and public affairs commentator, urged Atiku to choose Nyesom Wike, Rivers State governor and his closest rival in the presidential primary, as his running mate because of his achievement as governor.
Omolegan, however, said Atiku’s immediate task should be how to unite the country and solve the security challenge facing Nigeria.
He said: “Let him take Wike; he has performed well in Rivers State. Both of them are performers and he would do well if chosen. I think the task before them would be to open up the economy and bring investors. Atiku must unite the country, because we have never been this divided.
“Atiku is probably the most experienced among the people vying for the presidency in the two major parties, he is a businessman and understands the economy better.”
However, Eddy Olafeso, former national vice-chairman of PDP South West, said the decision on who should be Atiku’s running mate would be taken by the party.
“That decision would be taken by the party and I think someone good would be chosen,” Olafeso said.
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