Ahead of his official declaration to run for President in 2023, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has constituted a 324-man committee.
The committee is expected to fashion out modalities for the event scheduled to hold on Wednesday at the International Conference Centre in Abuja.
The committee further has subgroups including Medical, Secretariat, Special Duties, Contact and Mobilisation, Logistics and Transportation, Protocol, Security and Intelligence, Media and Publicity, Programmes, Entertainment and Welfare, as well as Venue.
Atiku recently obtained the N40m Presidential form of the Peoples Democratic Party, adding that the form was procured for him by northern businessmen under the aegis of the North East Business Community.
This would be Atiku’s sixth shot at the Presidency having contested in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.
Northern politicians who have shown interest in getting the PDP’s 2023 presidential ticket include Atiku; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal; Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed; and ex-governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Aside from northern politicians, some southern stalwarts including former Senate President and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Pius Anyim; former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose; ex-governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi; media personality, Dele Momodu, amongst others have also expressed interest in clinching the party’s 2023 presidential ticket in the primary which is expected to hold later this year.
Other presidential hopefuls include APC leader, Bola Tinubu; Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi; ex-Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha; former Governor of Abia State and Majority Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Kalu; former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Kingsley Moghalu, among others.
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has also been rumoured to nurse an ambition to succeed his boss through the 2023 election but the professor of law has not officially made his intention known.