PDP Should Give Presidential Slot To Southeast In 2023- Prof Al-Bishak

Ndigbo deserves to be given the presidential slot in 2023 by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP because of what they have given to the party, says Mallam Al-Bishak, a lecturer at the Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State.

Speaking exclusively to THE WHISTLER in Lafia, weekend, Al-Bishak, a professor of African literature, said the PDP constitution ab nitio documented that power ‘shall rotate between the North and South (irrespective of the party in power)’. He added that, “Ndigbo invested their human and material resources in the PDP, especially in the last presidential elections in the hope of getting the presidential ticket in 2023. To deny them is painful.”

He continued that, “The hard truth is that an Igbo man can emerge president in 2023 if the proper groundwork and horse-trading is done. It is sheer laziness and opportunism for the PDP to deny an Igbo man the chance in 2023. It thinks that fielding a Northern candidate like Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso or Aminu Tambuwal or even Atiku Abubakar with an Igbo running mate will fetch it the presidency. It is a dumb calculation. Northerners are not stupid to want to cling to power ad infinitum.”

On the chances of an Igbo presidency come 2023, the professor stated that, “Any major political party that chooses an acceptable Igbo man from the South combined with an acceptable deputy from the North will win the presidential election in 2023. The North is highly politically conscious and understands the import of written or gentleman’s agreement. In 2023 the North as a bloc will not insist on producing a Northern president. Those selling the dummy to the South are the PDP Northern presidential aspirants who have an exaggerated opinion of their political strength and influence. And naive Southern politicians like Nyesom Wike and Uche Secondus buy into it.”

On the marginalization of the Igbo politically, Al-Bishak urged them to dress their home first. He also commented on the defection of Ebonyi State governor Dave Umahi to the All Progressives Congress. Hear him, “The political marginalization of the Ndigbo is self-induced. The Igbo have nobody to blame but themselves. How come they are frontline leaders in the economy, education and other sectors, except politics? The greatest Achilles’ heel of Ndigbo is uncompromising self-will and lack of political tact. The Igbo man must understand that he cannot rule this country unless he gets the support of other sections of the country.

“Dave Umahi’s defection to the APC at this moment is highly opportunistic, and will get him nowhere. There are Igbo in the APC that have toiled for the party all along, and stand in a good stead to emerge as presidential stand-bearers of the APC in 2023. I’m talking about the likes of Rochas Okoroacha, Ogbonnaya Onu and Ken Nnamani. But like I said in my last interview, the scale tips in favour of Southwest that joined Northern forces to produce President Buhari. There is, however, the possibility that an Igbo man from the Niger-Delta could be fielded by the APC.”