Former Vice President and presidential hopeful on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will Tuesday June 19, 2018, resume his visit to states controlled by the PDP, in continuation of his nationwide consultation with leaders and stakeholders of the PDP, towards the actualization of his presidential ambition.
An insider said the visit will take him to Bayelsa and Rivers States in the South South geopolitical zone, where he will be guest of Governors Henry Seriake Dickson and Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, respectively.
He said further: “While the former Vice President will meet frontiersmen of the PDP and hold consultative meetings in Bayelsa State in the course of his two-day visit on Tuesday and Wednesday, he is expected to commission projects executed by the Wike-led administration in Rivers State, on Wednesday June 20 and Thursday June 21.”
Atiku had in January 2018, commenced a series of visits to states under the leadership of the PDP, with a widely publicised visit to Ekiti State. Thereafter, he was in Rivers State in March; Akwa Ibom and Cross River States in May, as guest of Governors Wike, Udom Emmanuel and Ben Ayade, respectively, before the commencement of the Ramadan fast.
Atiku on Sunday returned from a month-long visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, UAE, where he observed the Ramadan fast and participated in the lesser hajj.
Details of the arrival according to the source indicates the private jet which conveyed the former No. 2 citizen, with registration number T7-AAA, touched down at the private wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 2.30pm.
“He was received on arrival by several dignitaries, including the former Ogun State Governor and Director-General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organization, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, PDP gubernatorial aspirant in Adamawa State, Ahmed Umar Fintiri, former Special Adviser to the Vice President on Legal and Constitutional Matters, Prof Maxwell Gidado, SAN and Alhaji Abdullahi Sugar, a Kano-based entrepreneur.
“The welcome party also included Atiku’s eldest son Adamu; Alhaji Abdullahi Tsalah from Adamawa State; former House of Representatives Member, Gbenga Oduwaiye; PDP Woman leader from Cross River State Hon Blessing Egbara; Dr. Lloyd Ekwu from USA; Nollywood artist, Saint Obi; political associates, youth groups and personal aides.
“The former Vice President took time to shake hands with the long queue of admirers who received him at the airport, including airport officials and said ‘Thank you for coming’ individually to everyone.”
Other PDP states scheduled to be visited by the former Vice President include: Delta, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, Gombe and Taraba States.
This will immediately be followed by a whirlwind tour of all 36 states and the federal capital territory, which will feature town hall meetings and interactive sessions.