*Ribadu to run on ACN platform

By Emma Ujah, Daniel Idonor & Henry Umoru

ABUJA—AHEAD of the primaries of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, three northern presidential aspirants; Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, General Aliyu Gusau and
Dr. Bukola Saraki, exuded confidence of winning the party’s ticket.

Kwara State governor and Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Dr. Bukola Saraki who stormed the National Secretariat of the party with his supporters to submit his expression of interest and nomination forms, boasted that his chances of winning are very bright.

Answering questions from newsmen after submitting the forms, Saraki said he was banking on both his achievements as Kwara State Governor and his age, adding that the type of leadership Nigeria needed was one who belonged to the younger generation and had the energy to substantially transform Nigeria.

Saraki said: “I came here to submit my Expression of Interest and Nomination forms, to contest the presidential election under the PDP platform”.

He added: “Indeed it is an historic moment and I believe that it has come to a moment where in Nigeria’s history, we are about to create a generational change. After 50 years of Nigeria, we are about to start another 50 years.

On his chances against the likes of President Goodluck Jonathan, former Military President Ibrahim Babangida and former Vice_President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential hopeful said: “My chances are very bright because Nigerians will decide who has the best policies. This is about what each of us will give out to Nigerians. I am talking about what I have been able to achieve in my seven years of being a Governor.

“I have done many things. I have done things that had been impossible, transformed the state and made Kwara people proud and I believe I have the capacity too to provide same at the national level. The issue of governance is how to deliver leadership and I believe I have the capacity to deliver.”

Jonathan is beatable— Atiku

Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that he was not in any way intimidated by President Jonathan’s declaration of Saturday, just as he
stressed that he would defeat the President at the primaries of the PDP.

Atiku in a statement signed by his media office noted that he was not moved by incumbency factor.
According to the statement, the Presidential aspirant who spoke at a meeting with his North_Central Coordinators in Jos, Plateau State, said that incumbent
presidents had been known to lose elections even in the West Africa sub region and that Jonathan would not be an exception.

He said: “Don’t let anyone intimidate you that we cannot defeat an incumbent president. I will beat Jonathan in a free and fair contest. We are in this race to win, and by the grace of God we shall win. We have the most organized, the most democratic and the most competent campaign structure in the country.

“Go out there and work hard, engage delegates one on one, visit them, call them and convince them that Nigeria will be safe in Atiku’s hands.

Tell them that we have the best plan for the transformation of Nigeria; let them know that your candidate is the most prepared, the most experienced and the most
capable of all the candidates.”