former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has paid the stipulated N27.5m to pick the presidential nomination form of the All Progressives Congress on Monday.
Atiku picked the form after a short ceremony at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
Speaking during the event, Atiku enjoined the party leaders to ensure a level-playing field for all aspirants before and during the primaries.
The former vice president was the first to formally declare his intention to contest the Presidential ticket under the platform of the APC. Also, he happened to be the first to pick the nomination ticket, while others are yet to declare.
Atiku said, “Mr. Chairman, I need not let you know my political antecedents as far as the provision of a level-playing field for every member of this party is concerned because that is the only thing or one of the things that will make us different from the so called ruling party.
“Anybody who believes he has a democratic right to exercise should be given that opportunity to exercise that right. It is left for the members of this party and the Nigerian public to make a decision.
“I don’t think it is the responsibility of anyone of us as an individual or group to decide for this party or its membership for the people of this country. Yes, as leaders, we have a responsibility to guide those coming behind, but the guidance should be based on this firmly rooted democratic principles.
“Mr. Chairman, therefore, it is my singular honour and privilege to hand over to you or your representative two receipts: one, presidential expression of interest; the second one, presidential nomination form; all totalling N27.5m and I believe I am now entitled to receive my forms and then go onto the next stage.”
Responding, the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, prayed that God should give to Nigerians a President that would defend the interest of the country.
Oyegun said that the party was looking forward to a contest that would be totally rancour-free, believing that one of the aspirants would eventually emerge while others would join hands to make sure that Nigeria become a pride of the black nation.
Earlier, the former Vice President had unveiled plans by his campaign committee to host a Policy Review Summit at the Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, on October 27, 2014.
Atiku made this plan public at a press briefing in Abuja.
Asked why he took the event to Obasanjo’s Presidential Library, Atiku said, “It is not the issue of whether endorsement is coming from Chief Olusegun Obasanjo or whatever.
“Obasanjo is in the PDP. He can endorse whoever he wants to endorse or not endorse. That is the beauty of democracy.
“You will remember in 2008, when Barack Obama first ran (for President), a leading Republican, Gen. Collin Powel, decided to endorse him but he was in the Republican Party. That is the beauty of democracy.
“You have the right to endorse or not to endorse anybody but the final decision rests with the people. Don’t bother about endorsement or not. I am prepared to be President.”
According to him, running governments these days is akin to running a business, so that if you cannot run a business, you have no business running a government.”
He lamented that poverty had remained intractable in Nigeria because the country was structured in such a way that the national wealth remained in the hands of very few people.
The Presidential aspirant said the purpose of the planned summit was to fine-tune the elemental details of the Atiku 2015 Policy document.
He reiterated that the draft policy to be reviewed was drawn up within the context of the manifesto of our party, the APC.
The document he said provided an overview of his policy position.
He maintained that the main thrust was the explicit bid to modify the way the machinery of Federal Government works.
The document seeks to clarify and streamline the MDAs remits and responsibilities, removing overlaps and operational redundancies, systematically devolving and delegating operational responsibilities to states and local governments and private sector organisations (commercial and charitable) among others.
Source: Punchng
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