2023: Atiku, Tambuwal, Saraki Presidential Ambition “DOA”… As PDP insist on Zoning (2)
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The Presidential ambition of the likes of Abubakar Atiku, Aminu Tambuwal and Bukola Saraki may be dead in arrival as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu, Thursday in Abuja, declared that the party will not abandon its tradition of zoning political offices in the 2023 elections.
Prof Ayu said this while inaugurating the 37-person zoning committee of the party at its national secretariat in Abuja, adding that whoever does not get the presidency this time should wait until the end of the tenure of the next President.
Recall that after its 95th National Executive Council meeting on March 16, the PDP constituted its zoning committee to make recommendations for the zoning of various elective positions before the elections.
The committee which was given two weeks to draft the hallowed list is expected to submit its final zoning list on March 30.
Addressing delegates on Thursday, the chairman said, “PDP has a history of rotating our offices. Anybody who doesn’t get it this time should wait after the tenure of whoever will be our next president.
“We believe PDP is going to produce the next President once we start this journey. This time, we will ensure it goes round. And it will go round with justice, fairness and the interests of Nigeria.”
He urged the committee members to remain open to dialogue and endeavor to resolve differences amicably, noting that the same attitude led to its successful NEC meeting last week.
According to Ayu, “You will recall that in the NEC meeting discussions, we had no rancor whatsoever. I implore all of you to continue in the same spirit. PDP has a reputation for discussing whatever issues that we have. We talk, we don’t fight, we resolve issues.
“There is no issue that is too difficult or too important for the PDP to resolve. That is the spirit of the party. Therefore I urge all of you to discuss this matter with the same spirit that you discussed at NEC. Let us not have any rancour whatsoever and at the end of the day, remain focused on the main goal.”
While noting that the party’s main goal is to win power come 2023, Ayu affirmed that the PDP would present a presidential candidate Nigerians are proud of by the end of May 2022.
“I believe that by the time we have the big prize in our hands, we will share it, we will rotate it the way we want,” he said.
Recall that in 2010 PDP through its zoning tradition gave the Presidential ticket to the South, and produced Goodluck Jonathan as its Presidential candidate, however, in 2019, the Presidential tickect was zoned to the North and made Atiku Abubakar as it flag bearer.
