Atiku and the PDP last Friday settled for a former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, after reports of an initial plan to zone the Vice Presidential slot to the South-West.

Findings showed that Atiku, who left for Dubai shortly after the party’s national convention in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and returned to meet with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who endorsed his candidature, was already discussing with the leadership of the party in the South-West.

However, a top member of the National Working Committee of the PDP told news personnel on condition of anonymity that the VP slot was given to the South-East zone in order to placate the people of the region over their cry of alleged marginalisation.

The source, who was privy to the picking of Obi said on Thursday that the former governor of Anambra State was considered the best among those seeking the position.

He said, “We actually thought about the need to pick from the South-West, but we also considered the cry of marginalisation from the South-East.

“If you look at it, you will know that from the days of former President Olusegun Obasanjo up till now, except when former President Goodluck Jonathan was there, the South-West had been producing either the President or the Vice President.

 “This was the reason we felt Atiku’s running mate should come from another geopolitical zone.”