Former vice-president and leading presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, will be commencing a consultation and familiarization tour across the country beginning from July 16, 2018 ahead of the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The former number two citizen will begin with a scheduled visit to Gombe State on Monday then proceed to Borno State on Tuesday, Taraba State on Wednesday and Adamawa State on Thursday.
According to a schedule released by the the Director-General of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Organisation and former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Abubakar will commence the South West visitation on July 30 in Lagos, while that of the North East will start from Jigawa State on August 6, with North West, South East and North Central scheduled for August 7, 13 and 15 respectively.
An official reception in respect of his presidential ambition has been slated for July 21 in Yola by the Adamawa State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, tagged: “Mega Rally.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission timetable released in January mandates all political parties to conduct party primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries, between August 18 and October 7, 2018.
Abubakar is expected to battle the former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido; Governor of Gombe State, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo; former Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa; former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Ahmed Markafi; former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki (SAN); and former Governors of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, for the ticket of the PDP.