2023 power rotation: PDP insists zoning will not affect executive, legislative seats
…zoning not solution to Nigeria’s problem – Atiku
…As Sanwo-Olu flags off Tinubu-support movement for 2023 presidency
By Moses Adeniyi & Uthman Salami
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that the NEC approval over ceding the National Chairmanship position of the party to the Northern part of Nigeria would not in anyway affect the executive and legislative offices
The party spokesman, Mr. Kola Olagbondiyan said the approval does not affect executive or legislative offices in the 2023
Earlier, tensions had risen in the party prior to yesterday’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on the zoning of offices.
The spokesman of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan made this known while addressing journalists on the outcome of the NEC held in Abuja.
According to Mr Ologbondiyan, the NEC considered and adopted Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led Zoning Committee’s report, ahead of the party’s national convention, scheduled for October 30.
Earlier, the committee had recommended that the current elective National Working Committee (NWC) positions in the party should be swapped between the North and the South.
While making clarifications, PDP spokesman said what was approved was not about the executive and legislative positions in the 2023 general elections, but the elective NWC positions for the forthcoming convention.
Mr Ologbondiyan said there was no contrary decision regarding the date of the convention when he was asked whether the date for the national convention was still sacrosanct.
He said, “So far, nothing has been said to alter the date of the convention, which is October 30.”
The PDP spokesperson further emphasised that the only agenda that was adopted was the recommendation of zoning between the North and the South.
He said aspirants could begin to obtain form once the region kick start micro-zoning positions to the geopolitical zones in the region to the various geopolitical zones.
Ologbondiyan assured that the report on the party’s performance in the last general election done by Governor Bala Mohammed-led committee would be considered in subsequent meeting of the NEC.
Zoning not solution to Nigeria’s problem – Atiku
Meanwhile, the former Vice President of Nigeria, and the 2019 candidate of PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has said zoning is not the solution to Nigeria’s problem.
Atiku who stated this at the 94th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party on Thursday, posited that where the president comes from “will not be the solution to the problems of Nigeria.”
The former Vice President, thus, called on the PDP to play by the rules of fairness and equity in determining its Presidential candidate in 2023 against capitalising on zoning the ticket along ethnic considerations.
Asserting that the PDP “has the right to determine its rules on how the party should be governed,” he said the President Nigeria deserves is one that would stand to represent all.
“Where the President comes from has never been the problem of Nigeria. It will not be the solution to the problems of Nigeria. There is no such thing as a President from Southern Nigeria or a President from Northern Nigeria. There is only one President, a President of Nigeria, for Nigeria and by Nigerians.
“The Peoples Democratic Party has the right to determine its rules on how the party should be governed. The people of Nigeria also have the right to determine who governs them,” he said.
Atiku who called for meaningful inclusion of youth and women in the composition of the National Working Committee, averred that the decision of the NEC would determine whether the party would unseat the ruling party by 2023 or not.
“Talking about inclusions, I would like to see a new National Working Committee of our great party that has sizable numbers of our youths and woman. The decision of NEC today will either see PDP move into the villa in 2023 or not,” he said.
In his historic account of the evolution of the party since inception, he narrated thus: “Since inception, this party has faced serious challenges, and has risen above sentiments to solve those challenges and move forward.
“Let me come to historical events, which I said I was going to cite. Those of us who served in the constitutional conference, which drafted the current constitution of Nigeria should remember that after we finished drafting the constitution, we all met as members of the constitutional conference and resolved to correct the injustice that was done to a particular part of this country.
“And we said, in whichever party you found yourself, your Presidential candidate must come from the South-West, because (MKO) Abiola had won election but it was annulled. Not only was it annulled, he was killed.
“So, we all agreed as members, and we went out of the constitutional conference and we formed our parties. The Peoples Democratic Party, The All Peoples Party, APP and the Alliance for Democracy, AD.
“At the end of the day, two parties emerged. PDP picked General Obasanjo and AD picked Olu Falae.
“In 2003, all the PDP governors met at the villa and said they were not going to support President Obasanjo for a second term, that I should run. I now referred them to the resolution of NEC, where NEC decided that power should remain in the South-West for eight years. How do you now want me to go against the resolution of NEC?
“I turned it down and we moved on. So, this country has a sense of fairness. This country has a sense of justice. Therefore, this thing that is inbuilt in our party, we should be able to use it, to imbibe it to make sure today’s deliberations are in the best interest of our party, in the best interest of Nigeria, which will ultimately give us the victory that we asked for, to go back to the villa.”
Meanwhile, the PDP acting national chairman, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, has called on party members to close ranks in a bid to reclaim power from the ruling party for a return to Aso Rock in 2023.
Sanwo-Olu flags off Tinubu-support movement for 2023 presidential seat
Meanwhile as the campaign for the zoning of the 2023 presidency to the south continues to gather momentum, the drumbeat of support to flag APC chieftain and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, took a new turn as a support movement tagged SWAGA ‘23 was flagged off by Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The flag-off took Ikeja, the Lagos State Capital agog on Thursday with the formal launch of the Southwest Agenda 2023 (SWAGA ‘23).
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu who joined a strong political machinery in the State to host the grand event held at 10 Degree Event Centre in Oregun amidst strong political representation, said SWAGA was formed based on the belief in Tinubu’s vision and political philosophy that prioritise development of human capital and economy.
Governor Sanwo-Olu at the event was accompanied by all members of the State Executive Council, lawmakers in the State House of Assembly, and members of Conference 57 to formally unveil the political group
In his declaration of support for the group’s agenda, Sanwo-Olu described the APC National Leader as a “core political thinker” of the contemporary generation, noting that Tinubu’s constituency in progressive politics stood him out as a beacon and rallying figure capable of delivering directional leadership to the country in the next dispensation.
He said, “Asiwaju Tinubu’s story has been a legend in vision, passion and action. These three values stand him out among his contemporaries in national politics today. It is no wonder the man stretches his arm of fellowship beyond Lagos, the State he led for eight years as a Governor and in which he bequeathed the legacy we are building on. He is nationalist in thinking and progressive in action.
“The SWAGA we are launching in Lagos today is a demonstration of Tinubu’s enduring political principles and strong vision. Those behind the movement took the three values and push them with passion. What we are witnessing today is the action from the vision and passion; this is what SWAGA represents. By the grace of God, we will drive this agenda to logical end and we will all witness the inauguration of our political icon come 2023.”
Sanwo-Olu assured the proponents of the movement of his continued support, promising to mobilise more political support for the group. He said he would join hands with SWAGA coordinators to take the agenda beyond the Southwest region and make it a national movement.
In his view, Deputy Governor, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, said Tinubu personified the progress Nigerians had been yearning for.
“If we want true progress, employment, security and development, we all know who is capable of creating these opportunities for us. He is Asiwaju,” Hamzat said.
Senator Dayo Adeyeye who leads the movement said Lagos was the last State to be visited since the movement started last December, noting that all political and traditional rulers across the Southwest were in tune with the agenda being pushed by the group.
The group had met no less than 80 traditional rulers to establish SWAGA as a grassroots movement.
