Congratulatory messages to Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar are pouring in from across the country after his victory at the party’s presidential primary election.

Mr Atiku at the party’s national convention on Saturday emerged as the winner of the party’s presidential primary, polling a total of 371 votes from the 767  accredited delegates to defeat Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike, former president of the Nigerian senate Ayim Pius Ayim, Bukola Saraki amongst others.

Mr Saraki, the immediate past president of the Nigerian Senate, in his congratulatory message to the party’s flagbearer, charged his supporters to rally around Atiku and other candidates to fix the economic and security challenges bedeviling the country.

“Now, we must all rally around all our candidates across the nation to fix our economy, curb the insecurity, and put an end to the rising cost of living,” Mr Saraki said.

Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, said the success of the party’s primary election indicates that PDP has enthroned a transparent internal democratic process which is needed for the nation’s much desired ‘rebirth.’

“The keenly contested process of picking a flagbearer for our great party has again shown the PDP as a party that has enthroned a transparent internal democratic process which is what our nation now desperately needs for its much-desired rebirth,” Mr Obaseki said.

The Edo governor also called on other aspirants to work together with Mr Atiku to ensure that the country is rescued.

On his part, Mr Anyim who was not satisfied with the primary election process congratulated Mr Atiku for his emergence as the party’s flagbearer.

Mr Anyim lamented the voting mechanism used during the election, calling it archaic, and questioned whether such behaviour would help discover solutions to the country’s problems.

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, also congratulated Atiku on his victory, calling his election “the best thing that has occurred to the party and the country since 1999.”

Peoples Gazette on Sunday reported that APC’s presidential ticket hopeful, Bola Tinubu in his congratulatory message painted the opposition candidate in glowing words.

Mr Tinubu, angling to secure the ruling party’s ticket amid stiff opposition, said it would be an honour to square up with the former vice president at the 2023 polls.

However, Mr Wike who emerged close second in the primary election is yet to congratulate Mr Atiku almost 24 hours after his emergence.

The Rivers governor had during the party’s convention promised to support any candidate that emerges as the winner of the party’s primary.