By Seth Akande
A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Chief Olabode George has described the zoning of political positions as a parameter that is necessary for politics a necessity ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
While speaking on Channels television program, Politics Today, he said for elections to take a good form, zoning is a spinal cord necessary to win elections in the country as it shows a sense of equal distribution of positions in the southern and northern part of Nigeria.
According to him, “It is a major part of our growing up that zoning and rotation must be part. Whatever had been in the North after 8 years, must come to the south, what has been in the south for the last 8 years must go to the north. It guarantees commitment, it guarantees that oneness, it guarantees that you have a sense of belonging to the country Nigeria.
“Zoning is the extra parameter in the political equation that must be considered.”
Speaking on the committee set up for zoning of different positions in the party, consisting of 20 representatives from the north and 17 from the south if it would recreate an imbalance in choosing different leaders.
Bode said, “I am aware of that. This is not a matter of voting or deciding. What you are trying to tell the others is that you can go to hell. No, this is a family meeting. We are brothers and sisters in the same family, when you come to family issues you don’t vote, you base it purely on moral situation, we will put forward convincing arguments, robust discussions, heavy discussions that will hold this country together.
“We cannot afford to break it.” The founding fathers gave this country a beautiful gift and that gift is for us to remove this emblem of division, this thing that can tear Nigeria into pieces. It has been happening in Switzerlan, Why can’t we do it here ?
He concluded that character is one thing people must look our for when choosing leaders but nevertheless the party has the right to zone positions as zoning is important in making things right for the party