Following the alleged claim that the PDP has zoned its 2023 presidential ticket to the northern part of the country, the main opposition party Saturday restated that it had not zoned the ticket to any zone.
A former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu was quoted as telling the members of the Atiku Support Organisation on Friday that the PDP had zoned its presidential ticket to the northern part of the country.
Aliyu had reportedly told the members of the organisation who visited him in Minna that he was confident of the success of the group, stressing that the party’s decision was a result of the requests of members.
But in a swift reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, in a statement issued yesterday, completely debunked the claims.
In the statement titled, ‘2023: We Have Not Zoned Our Presidential Ticket –PDP,’ the party said: “Its attention has been drawn to comments and speculations from certain individuals claiming that our party has zoned its presidential ticket to a particular part of the country.
“This is completely misleading as it does not in any way represent the position of our party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP emphatically and unequivocally states that it has not zoned its presidential ticket to any part of the country.
“The PDP is a political party founded on democratic principles and every action of the party, including zoning, is based on extensive consultations, discussions and consideration of all the issues as well as the various tendencies and interests across the nation, with the main objective of ensuring that the unity, peaceful co-existence and development of our nation are reinforced and promoted.
“The PDP, therefore, urges Nigerians, our teeming members and supporters to completely disregard the unfounded zoning claims as being peddled. Our party also cautions those behind the claims to desist forthwith.
“The PDP thanks Nigerians across the board for the overwhelming interest they have in our party as their sure platform to rescue and rebuild our nation from misrule and urges them to remain united and focused as we join forces for the task ahead,” the statement by Olugunagba explained.
Many northern governors and the 17 southern governors had thrown their weight behind the clamour for power shift to the southern part of the country in 2023 to ensure justice and fair play.
Some of the northern governors include Professor Babagana Zulum (Borno); Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina); Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna); Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano); Samuel Ortom (Benu) and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), among others.
The southern governors under the leadership of the Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, had also, irrespective of political affiliation, given a strong position that power “must move to the South in 2023.”
Since 1999 when democracy returned under this dispensation, former President Olusegun Obasanjo governed from (1999-2007); the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (2007 – 2010); former President Goodluck Jonathan (2010-2015); and President Muhammadu Buhari (2015-2023).
With the north completing eight years in 2023, it is expected that power will shift to the south.
However, some politicians from the north are working hard to retain power beyond 2023.
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