Presidency: Uncertainty In PDP As Southern Governors Reject Open Ticket

•Middle Belt threatens to work against PDP •Other zones should yield to South-East for fairness, equity —Anyim, Obi, others

By Leon Usigbe, Isaac Shobayo And Igbonaka Chukwu

UNCERTAINTY is mounting in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as governors of southern states have maintained their stance for the selection of the party’s 2023 presidential candidate from the zone.

Rising from a meeting held at the Akwa Ibom State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, they vehemently stressed the need for the main opposition party to stick to its founding principles of equity and justice.

Present at the meeting were the host governor, Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Duoye Diri (Bayelsa), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia). Ikpeazu spoke to journalists after the meeting, drawing the attention of the world to the earlier position taken by the southern governors on zoning of the presidency to the South.

He said the governors are standing firm on the resolution, which he said no reason exists to change.

Ikpeazu stated: “Gentlemen, we have watched with keen interest the developments in our party especially concerning zoning.

“Our position is that first, we are committed to the unity of our party and we have worked hard to make sure that this party remains strong and viable vehicle to rescue Nigeria come 2023.

“Be that as it may, we want to draw your attention to the fact that we have agreed as Southern Governors in Lagos and also in Delta that this party has to respect the zoning principle as enshrined in our Constitution, and to that effect, we feel that the best thing to do is zone the presidency to the South, and we stand on that position.

“We have not seen any reason to change our position, because the party was founded on the basis of equity and justice. And we also think that equity and justice is an important pillar that will ultimately stabilize our politics towards our journey in rescuing Nigeria. “This is our position and that is why we have met today.”

He dismissed suggestions that opening the ticket will enhance the PDP’s chances of winning the 2023 presidential poll, saying, “You haven’t told me why zoning will not give us victory.”

The governor, however, refused to be drawn to speculation as he insisted: “We don’t want to work on speculation.”

He also pushed back on the idea that having already allowed aspirants from all sections of the country to purchase nomination forms, it will be unfair to zone the presidency to a particular section, the stating: “Let me tell you something, if you want to take a position of policy, you don’t look at problems in their face and take decision.

“You take a decision and remain firm on that decision. We think what this country is lacking today is our ability to dispense equity and justice. It may be difficult; it may a bitter pill, but we need to stand with the truth.

“See, I speak and I want to reiterate the position of the Southern governors. It is not my duty to speculate on what others are doing. But you must ask yourself, what is the truth? What it is, is that if we do it today we serve with fairness, equity and justice?”

The governors’ latest remarks come amid the inability of the Governor Sam Ortom-led Zoning Committee to arrive at a definite stance on the issues. After its deliberations, the committee recommended three options to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party including zoning the presidency to the South, throwing the ticket open or allowing NEC to take a final position on their own.

Fourteen aspirants in all have so far purchased the expression of interest and nomination forms to vie for the PDP presidential ticket.

Middle Belt Forum threatens PDP

Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has threatened to work against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023 if it does not zone the presidential ticket to the southern part of the country.

MBF said the suggestion that opening the presidential ticket will enhance the PDP’s chances of winning 2023 presidential election did not hold water.

It added that the security situation in the North and Nigeria at large will worsen if another northerner is allowed to govern the country in 2023.

The national president of the MBF, Dr Bitrus Pogu, in an interview warned the PDP not to commit political suicide, adding that its plan to leave the ticket open may spell doom for the party.

“It is an error of judgment and miscalculation to think that the southern part and the Middle Belt will support the idea of the presidency remaining in the North after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023.

“We would work against any political party that fields northern candidates. The party that fields a Southern candidate is the party we would support.

“We strongly believe it is the turn of the South and we are convinced that what we are doing is in the interest of Nigeria. So if PDP fields a northern candidate, it is up to the party. But we would work against that candidate,” he threatened.

In a related development, South-East presidential aspirants of the PDP have increased their pressure on other zones of the country to yield to the necessity for an Igbo person to emerge standard-bearer of the party in the 2023 election for the sake of equity.

Former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim; former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi; Maxi Ohuanbunwa and United States-based medical doctor, Nwachukwu Anakwenze, met in Abuja on Saturday, where they resolved to work together to get the South-East the ticket.

Fourteen persons from across the country have so far picked the expression of interest and nomination forms to vie for the ticket of the main opposition party.

Apart from the South-East aspirants including the only female so far, Oliver Tareila Diana, the others are former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Sokoto State governor Aminu Tambuwal; Ovation magazine publisher, Dele Momodu; Governor of Rivers State, Governor Nyesom Wike; Investment banker and economist, Mohammed HayatuDeen; Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel; Bauchi State governor Bala Mohammed; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose.

The South-East’s push comes as Saraki continued to coordinate meetings with other aspirants from the North in an attempt to also get them to line up behind one of them as the zone’s consensus candidate.

Speaking on behalf of the other aspirants after Saturday’s meeting, Anyim said the zone would consult with other parts of the country to cede the position to the South-East on the basis of fairness and equity.

He told journalists during the post-meeting press briefing: “We are pleased to have you this morning with us and we are to inform you that all the presidential aspirants from the South-East met this morning.

“However, it is our knowledge that more aspirants that my aspire may have obtained forms under PDP. We hope that they will join us a little later.

“So, in the interim, four of us are presidential aspirants on that platform of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party of Nigeria. We met this morning and resolved as follows.

“One, we have agreed to work together as a team. We will work together to ensure that a South-Easterner emerges as PDP standard-bearer for 2023 presidential election.

“We intend to consult with other zones on this issue and it is based on fairness and equity. In doing so, it is important to note that we have always supported other zones, and we now expect them to reciprocate,” he said.

Presidency: Uncertainty in PDP as southern governors reject open ticket