A former Imo State governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential aspirant, Rochas Okorocha, has boasted that he will defeat the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, if given the APC ticket.
The APC chieftain who spoke on a political programme on Arise Television, noted that his popularity and goodwill in the Northern part of the country, considered the PDP candidate’s stronghold put him at advantage over other APC aspirants.
He stressed that he would beat Atiku in his home State, Adamawa.
While advising the APC on arriving at a choice of presidential candidate, Okorocha, urged the party to consider a person that could poll substantial votes in the North.
“The APC has smartly waited until the PDP produced its candidate, now what should preoccupy the mind of the APC is who can defeat the PDP’s presidential candidate.
“The PDP’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is someone that had contested election with our President and was an APC member and he polled substantial votes. What APC needs is the man that can poll similar votes in the North to be able to defeat him. Anything outside this that goes with sentiment will mean failure for us.
“The APC has smartly waited until the PDP produced its candidate, now what should preoccupy the mind of the APC is who can defeat the PDP’s presidential candidate.
“The PDP’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is someone that had contested election with our President and was an APC member and he polled substantial votes. What APC needs is the man that can poll similar votes in the North to be able to defeat him. Anything outside this that goes with sentiment will mean failure for us.
“This is what we should know, who is that person among the APC aspirants that can get sufficient votes in the North because that PDP’s only strategy is the Northern votes. We might not have a President Buhari run another election because most people that won election on the platform of the APC in previous elections did so because of President Buhari. Now, such privilege is no more there. So you have to look for that man that people will look at and vote for and I am that man.
“I am more acceptable in the North than any other of the aspirants. I am the darling of the North, I have a cordial relationship with the North. If I run election in Adamawa State today, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will sweat to have a defeat because I can show what I did in Adamawa State. I challenge everyone to show what they have done in other parts of the country outside their region.
“In the North, I saw their children that were not going to school and I provided free education for them. Some people believe that if I am elected President that power is still in the North because of my close relationship with the North,” he said.
