PDP ignores South-East demands, throws presidential ticket open

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday ignored the clamour by the South-East to have the party zoned its presidential ticket to the region ahead of the 2023 presidential elections.

The PDP had kept until now Nigerians waiting on its plan for the 2023 presidential election.

It would be recalled that the PDP inaugurated a 37-man zoning committee, headed by Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, to determine a suitable zoning formula for the 2023 presidential election, but party leaders and stakeholders are still divided on the issue.

While some leaders from the North have been canvassing that PDP should concentrate on picking somebody who can win the election and return power to the party, some Southern governors insist it is the turn of the region to produce the next Presidential candidate of the party.

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This debate might have forced the party to be silent on the zoning of the presidency while inaugurating the Ortom committee. The national chairman of the party, Iyorcha Ayu had during the inauguration saddled the committee members with responsibilities of sharing positions of Senate President, Speaker of House of Representatives, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and other leadership positions in the two chambers of the National Assembly among the six geopolitical zones.

According to a source, the committee threw open the ticket “due to exigency of time.”

Reports emerged about two weeks ago that the party had jettisoned the zoning arrangement and would throw the ticket open for interested politicians to try their luck at the presidential primaries slated for May.

At least nine individuals had so far declared their intention to vie for the PDP presidential ticket next month.

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These include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, the former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Mazi Ohuabunwa, and the Publisher of the Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu.

Others are the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, the ex-Anambra State governor, Peter Obi and his Ekiti State counterpart, Ayodele Fayose.

The committee affirmed zoning, but decided to throw the ticket open due to exigency of time.

It also recommended that the party should make the issue of zoning very clear at least months before sales of forms.

“Our Party should commend the efforts of some of our contestants on the issue of consensus candidacy; the efforts should be seen to a peaceful and logical conclusion.”