Senator Saidu Umar Kumo, who represented Gombe Central in the fourth senate on the platform of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP) has explained why he wants former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to take over from President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.
Kumo was Director General of 2015 campaign organisation of Gombe Governor, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo.
The former Special Adviser to the late President Umaru Yar’Adua told Sun that “Atiku is long overdue in the PDP to become its presidential candidate and be elected as president.
“Nigeria of today needs someone like Atiku; there are many challenges that we require someone like him to step into the leadership to bring about an all inclusive administration with focus.
“He is going to be the right choice for Nigerians. But first, we want him to be the choice of the PDP, when the PDP choose him to become its presidential candidate, then we can sell him to Nigerians.”
On the rumoured presidential ambition of Dankwambo, Kumo said he was not aware of the Governor‘s intention.
“I really don’t know that Dankwambo is angling for the presidential ticket. Because he never discussed the issue with me, he never discussed with someone that came to discuss with me, he never sent someone to inform me.
“My party leadership never called me to say Gombe governor is angling for the PDP presidential ticket. Nobody told me until this moment. I’m not the one to push him and say, ‘come out and contest for this position.’
“If he is nursing such ambition, maybe he told those that matter. Maybe they are aware, maybe he didn’t come to our level. But already there is another person that saw us and considers us important in this project and we are for him.
“That doesn’t mean he cannot gun for the ticket, he must work for it. But for me, I have made my position clear; everybody knows I’m for Atiku in the north- east and Nigeria,” he said.
Reminded that the PDP only controls Gombe and Taraba States, Kumo replied: “Is there anywhere in the north except the north-east where you find PDP government?”
“That’s more reason the PDP should reward us for standing strong when other states in the north were swept away in 2015.
“We should be considered because there is no PDP government in North West and North Central. For that, we should be considered.”
