PDP May Zone Presidential Ticket To South To Douse Agitation–Sources

Following ongoing agitations for a southern presidency in 2023, the People’s Democratic Party is said to be making moves to make a bold declaration to zone its presidential ticket to the South, THE WHISTLER has gathered.

It was gathered that the move is being engineered by a former president of the country, who has hinted the PDP National Chairman, Mr Iyorchia Ayu, that he will write his name in gold if he oversees zoning of the ticket to the south and victory at the polls in 2023.

However, the move, which has been endorsed by the southern caucus in the party’s National Working Committee, has unsettled presidential hopefuls from the northern extraction of the party.

Former Vice President and 2019 presidential flagbearer of the party, Mr Atiku Abubakar, has indicated interest to make another bid for the post of the president.

Also, former Senate President in the 8th Senate, Mr Abubakar Saraki, Governor of Sokoto State and former Speaker in the 7th Senate, Mr Aminu Tambuwal and former Minister of Defence and ex- governor of Kano State, Mr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have all indicated interests to vie for the plum job on the platform of the PDP.

While the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is expected to zone its presidential ticket to the South, the PDP had, before the coming of Ayu, indicated interest to zone its ticket to the North.

That position was jettisoned following outcry from the south. The party later indicated that it will not zone its ticket to allow qualified party members seek its ticket.

It was gathered that Atiku’s camp is not finding the latest development pleasant with a source saying the move could harm the party’s prospect in 2023.

The Atiku’s camp noted that he’s the man to beat in the election.

The Atiku’s camp led by Messrs Raymond Dokpesi, Chairman of DAAR communication and Ehigie Uzamere, former senator, have been campaigning for Atiku’s presidency.

Uzamere told our correspondent that, “Nigeria is at a very low ebb and needs a detribalised Nigerian to rescue the country and that is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Turakin Adamawa who is prepared to be president of Nigeria.”

The PDP’s bid to shift power to the south will be made known in due time, a member of the NWC told our correspondent on Friday in a telephone chat, pointing out that “We are not in a rush to zone. The new focus is to zone because of agitations and clear reasons to do so but there is time.

“The south will get it (presidential ticket) but we will play our cards close to our chest and let the other side (APC) decides first,” he said.

There have been intense agitations from various groups in the south calling for power shift from the North. In the vanguard of southern agitation for power shift are the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum comprising the Afenifere (South West), Ohanaeze Ndigbo (South-East), Pan Niger Delta Forum (South-South) and the Middle Belt Forum (Middle Belt), with the latter believing it is supporting the southern agitation on the basis of equity.

In the forefront of these groups are Chief Ayo Adebanjo (Afenifere), Prof George Obiozor (Ohanaeze) Dr. Pogu Bitrus (Middle Belt Forum) and Chief Edwin Clark (PANDEF).

Recently, the Leaders of Thoughts, in a communique issued after their meeting called “on all political parties in the country to zone their presidential tickets to the south,” and advised “that any political party that does not zone its presidential ticket to the South should not expect support from the four regions.”

That called has spurred different groups to demand for southern presidency including a call from Coalition of Civil Society Groups, CCGS, who, through its President, Mr Basset Etuk Williams, and Secretary General, Mr Abubakar Ibrahim, said, “We have watched with keen interest various agitations across the zones of our federating units, and we come up with agenda of championing and clamouring for Power shift to the South come 2023.”

But the power play in the party being championed by a sitting governor from the south who is interested in being a running mate to a candidate, who incidentally is a sitting governor from the North, is unsettling the PDP.

It is been long rumoured that governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has been fronting for his Sokoto State counterpart, Tambuwal. While the latter has not indicated interest, sources have said his cause is being championed by Wike, who has several times said he singlehandedly financed the party when others abandoned it.

The power play and the influence Wike has on the party led to the abdication of Mr Uche Secondus as the party’s Chairman. Secondus was incidentally sponsored by Wike.

It was gathered that Wike fell out with Secondus because the erstwhile chairman was reluctant to carry out his bid of putting machinery in place to zone the presidential ticket to the North.

The National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologun-Agba, did not respond to calls and text messages placed to his phone.