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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
A presidential aspirant on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, has conceded defeat and congratulated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, winner of the just concluded presidential primary.
Atiku polled 371 votes to defeat Governors of Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi States; Nyesom Wike, Emmanuel Udom, Bala Mohammed; former Senate Presidents, Anyim Pius Anyim and Bukola Sakari, among others.
Anakwenze, in a statement yesterday, said the outcome of the exercise should not be disputed because it was transparent.
“I seize this opportunity to congratulate Alhaji Atiku Abubakar the winner of the 2022 presidential primaries.
“Please, accept my warm congratulations on your victory and my best wishes for your success as you prepare to take up the enormous responsibilities of reassuring Nigerians on the need to keep faith with our great party and the Nigerian challenges that come with it.
“As you embark upon the second phase of this campaign, I wish to assure you and the party of the continued support and collaboration of the Anakwenze Campaign Organization to actualize your five points agenda for Nigerians namely:
Unity of Nigeria, Security, Economy, Education and devolving more resources and powers to the federating units.
“I look forward to working with you not only to convince and persuade Nigerians to vote for you and the party in the general election but also to concert our efforts in the cause of peace, unity, security and the massive improvement of Nigerian’s economy for all peoples across the country and in the diaspora.
“While we work and look forward to a peaceful poll that will elect you as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023.
“I salute the courage of my supporters who believed so much in my message and demonstrated this in their last-minute efforts by casting some votes despite my withdrawal.
“For me, it is just the beginning, it was worth the struggle. I thank God for his protection all through this journey and pray the Lord continues to keep Nigeria United in the days ahead,” he said.
The Physician, however, noted that the electoral contest was too expensive and undemocratic given the high cost of nomination forms.
He thanked his supporters for their steadfastness, disclosing it was his first time given a shot at a presidential election.
“In January this year at one of my numerous visits to Nigeria and in my usual manner of contributing to national debate; I participated in a political summit convened by an NGO on power rotation and the 2023 general elections and its implication for national development,” he said.
“After several presentations by ethnic nationalities namely Afenifere, Pan Niger Delta, the MiddleBelt Forum, Yoruba Council of Elders, Ohaneze Ndi Igbo etc., I was persuaded to run for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party whose constitution Favors the Southeast as it were.
“This wasn’t the first time it has come up. The Diaspora groups which I have led for over the decades feel also it’s about time the Nigeria Political Leadership experience a positive change with Nigerians In Diaspora taking the lead.
“After due and wide consultations with my immediate family, friends and elders, I ventured into the world of politics for the first time.
“Well, competition is not strange to me, but I was comfortable with this new vision because it was in tandem with my ideal which is service to humanity.
“I quickly put out a team of professionals from across most ethnic groupings in Nigeria across the Six Geopolitical Zones in the country to form the Anakwenze Campaign Organization ACO
“We created a formidable structure within weeks with young people at the forefront. We transversed the length and breadth of the country with our message of ‘Hope for Nigeria’ which was well accepted by Nigerians
“Today, the campaign which afforded me the opportunities of interfacing the ordinary man within the poor neighbourhoods of Nigerians remotest communities.
“I saw beyond what I have always known about the country’s deplorable state.
“I thank the People’s Democratic Party, our great party for the chance to showcase my skills and proposal to Nigeria
“Each of the candidates is eminently qualified to lead based on their own core areas of specialization but I wished I had been elected the flag bearer to give me a better position to fully implement all my campaign agenda for Nigeria.
“The elections yesterday were peaceful, transparent and credible. Although I’d wished the process was a bit more democratic and less expensive from the nomination forms to the delegates’ selection all made it more cumbersome for new entrants like me.
“However, it was my very first trial, and despite my withdrawal, my dedicated supporters still cast their votes for me. That was encouraging.”
