Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere has opened up on the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party over its choice of presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and chances of the party in 2023.
Recall that five governors in the opposition party led by the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, had rejected the emergence of Atiku, and demanded the resignation of the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, asserting that both the presidential candidate and national chairman of the party cannot come from the same region.
The group attributed the PDP crisis to the party’s constitution being broken as well as the suggestions made at the 2014 national conference regarding the rotation of power between the northern and southern states of the nation.
Chief Sola Ebiseeni, the secretary-general of Afenifere, in a statement issued said that the organization supported the position of the five PDP governors.
Ebiseni claimed that the PDP’s selection of Atiku Abubarkar as its presidential candidate constituted a violation of the PDP’s bylaws. He claimed that because of his place of birth, it was impossible for members of the Afenifere to accept the unwise choice of the PDP presidential candidate and maintain national peace.
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He went on to say that it is blatant hypocrisy for politicians to openly sabotage their parties during elections and shamelessly reject the equity they preached when it comes to the most important office while simultaneously refusing to compromise on the zoning of their state’s Houses of Assembly, National Assembly, and governorships.
“The party, however, bit the forbidden fruit the moment it deceived itself that the centre could hold while destroying the foundational covenant. We hold it evidently true in nature that in the current conflict between the PDP on one hand and righteousness, truth and justice on the other, the result is a foregone conclusion.
“In fairness to Ayu, the position of the national chairman is what belongs to him as of right of the convention of the party and which he got by consensus. However, before his inauguration on the 31st of October 2021, he had already granted an interview suggesting the emergence of a northern presidential candidate and that he would resign in that eventuality, a promise now his albatross.
“The just call by the Integrity Group led by Governor Nyesom Wike and his colleagues and reasoned with by well-meaning party members and other Nigerians is a mere parable against the decision of the PDP, seeking ubiquitously that power should remain in the North after eight years of its presidency through Muhammadu Buhari.
“The nation earnestly awaits the full expression of the integrity in the righteous league with the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum and the APC group led by Babachir Lawal. Ayu or the national chairman of any political party is not the issue in the quest for inclusiveness and justice.”