2023 Presidency and PDP soft spot for the North
Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
The PDP Zoning Committee under the leadership of Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has said that 2023 presidential contest under the party is open to any of the six geo-political zones but the seat of the national Chairman of the party and other offices previously hold by the south would automatically return to the north during their national convention slated for Oct 30.
In the communique issued last week Saturday and signed by Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom who served as the Deputy Chairman of the PDP Zoning Committee, the Committee stated that its decision was in line with the constitution of the party on zoning and rotation of party and national offices in the interest of justice, equity and fairness.
It stated further that consequently, the current offices being held by officers in the Southern Zones of the country, namely, South West, South East and South South zones, should swap places with the offices currently in the northern zones of Nigeria, namely, North West, North East and North Central zones.
The Committee equally said that its mandate does not include zoning of the offices of the President, Vice President and other Executive and Legislative offices of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that the zoning of the party offices does not in any way affect the executive and legislative offices in Nigeria
This decision is set for ratification by the National Working Committee of the party during its meeting slated for Thursday.
However, this decision is already generating rumpus in the opposition party as well as some Nigerians rooting to have a southerner, particularly from the Southwest as President come 2023.
Many are of the opinion that the decision of the zoning Committee to leave open the 2023 presidential race is purposely done to give the north a edge over the south because the north remains the largest part of the country. The north currently has 19 States in addition to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja while the South has 17.
Analysts are of the strong opinion that if the opposition party, PDP should go ahead and throw open the 2023 presidential ticket, the north is at a better advantage to grab the ticket without much fuss.
The belief out there is that northerners who are members of the PDP will not wait to crush anything that stand in the way of the zone to produce the presidential candidate for the party come 2023.
A bird who must know urged our Correspondent not take the decision of Ugwuanyi-led Zoning Committee to the bank saying that, “I have that assurance that our great party, PDP will field a northerner come 2023, the fact that the Committee said that it has no mandate on where the offices of the executive such as the President, the Vice-President among others will come from is just a decoy. I think it is an open secret that PDP from all indications will pick its 2023 Presidential candidate from the north.”
He said, “Out of the 16 years rule of PDP, the southerners occupied the presidency for 14 years, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo spent eight years and Dr Goodluck Jonathan spent another six years while the north through Late Umaru Yar’adua was only there for two years. It is just normal that when another opportunity presents itself, the north won’t allow anything come in between them and the presidency even if the national seat of the party Chairmanship is already ceded to them.”
Already, a political group, Atiku Support Organisation has kicked against the recommendation of the zoning committee which zoned the party’s national chairmanship position to the North.
The Atiku group in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. El Mo Victor, in Makurdi was said to have called on the zoning committee to reverse its decisions in order to ensure fairness and equity.
The statement said, “The recent submissions of the PDP Zoning Committee headed by the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, recommending the zoning of the national chairmanship position of the party to the North negates, in all fairness, the entrenched principle of equity, fairness, and justice in the party.
“It’s on record that the North had occupied the chairmanship position of the PDP more than the South. So far, only the Southwest is yet to produce a chairman of the PDP since 1999.
“Therefore, if truly and honestly the principle of fairness and justice as enshrined in the PDP’s constitution should be respected by the leadership of the party, then it is ideal and strategic to zone the chairmanship ticket/seat to the Southwest rather than forcing the position on the North.
“Additionally, we wish to state also that in the interest of equity and fairness, the presidential ticket should be zoned to the North. The People Democratic Party governed Nigeria for 16 years from 1999 – 2015. Out of the three Presidents produced by the PDP, the North produced only one President (Umar Musa Yar’Adua, 2007 – 2010), who before his demise served for only two years instead of eight years, while former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan both from the South spent 14 years in power.
“In line with these unwritten practices of the nation’s political history, we hold firmly and believe that, for the sake of justice and victory for the party in 2023, the presidential tickets of the PDP should be zoned to the North.
“Zoning the presidential ticket to the South by the PDP would mean the South spending 24 years in office against only two years for the North. This is not the justice, fairness, or equity for which article 7, section 7.2 (C) of the PDP Constitution seeks to promote to ensure the unity and togetherness of the party.”
The group added that the PDP leadership should note that the unwritten national convention of zoning, however well-intended, “if not properly used can create ripples and allow external forces to create confusion in the party.
“The PDP should learn from history, the events leading to the 2015 presidential elections, which was caused by the disruption and non-adherence to the party principle on the zoning of the presidential ticket, which shortchanged the North.
“We are calling on the National Executive Committee (NEC) members of the party to look critically into the recommendations of the zoning committee and give special consideration to the deprived zones, especially the North East and South East Geo-political zones to produce the presidential standard-bearer of the People’s Democratic Party for the 2023 presidential elections.
“This is in the interest of the party and the great people of Nigeria, who are yearning to enthrone in 2023, a bridge-builder and a leader who understands the economy to grow Nigeria and can harness all the potentials of the Nigerian youth to build a prosperous nation for all of us.”
Oyejide Sunkanmi, the Spokesman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State while speaking with our Correspondent said that “what is clear for now is that the party has decided to leave open the 2023 presidential ticket to any zone. It is our belief that competent hands that could help to revive the economy and make Nigeria forget the misfortune of bad governance foisted on them by the current APC government abounds across the country.
“This is not about working against the interest of the Southwest who feels that they want to take over from President Buhari in 2023 but about what is the best for our party, what is best for Nigeria, it’s about what can bring us back to power, Nigerians can’t wait for PDP to assume leadership of this country again and we would definitely be strategic about our coming back.”
Speaking with our Correspondent, Dare Akiyode a political analyst said that it will be a total disservice for the south if PDP will eventually field a northerner after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years in office come 2023.
Akiyode said, “What is just and fair in 2023 is to allow the southerner to also take a shot at the presidency after eight years rule of President Buhari, a northerner. Any party that will not field a southerner for 2023 presidential election is not keen about the unity of this country and should be rejected by Nigerians. Does that mean there are no competent hands in the south or what? If truly this country belongs to all, then the south should be next to produce the country’s president in 2023.”
Akin Okunade, a sociologist and APC chieftain told our Correspondent that he is cocksure the opposition party would present a northerner as its presidential flag bearer in 2023.
Okunade said, “This is a party that cares less about justice, fairness and feelings of other Nigerians. If someone from the north has just finished eight years rule, is it not fair and just to let the south also have a taste of the presidency? The opposition party is really desperate to return to power and would therefore not hesitate to fly any joker no matter how dirty, but I am sure the proponents of Southwest presidency in APC come 2023 are also watching as event unfold and would definitely not be caught lowering their guards.”
