Northern PDP Leaders Blast Fayose Over Presidential Declaration

Northern leaders and stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have condemned Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State over his recent presidential declaration.

The northern leaders condemned the governors’ ambition during a meeting which held on Tuesday in Abuja.

The meeting was convened by the leaders of the party in the region to harmonise their position on the zoning arrangement of the party ahead of the 2019 general elections and the PDP national convention.

Recall that Fayose, on September 28, declared his intention to run for the presidential slot in 2019 on the platform of the PDP.

But the convener of the northern leaders meeting and a former minister of information, Professor Jerry Gana, while welcoming delegates from the three geopolitical zones in the North to the meeting, said the best candidates will be selected in accordance with the zoning arrangement of the party.

“I want to appeal to you to give to the party the very best in the positions that have been zoned to us. Let us, therefore, give to the party, men and women of impeccable integrity. Whatever the Fayoses of this world may be doing, the party has resolved that the presidential candidate will come from one of the three zones in the North,” he said.

Also speaking on the issue, a former acting national chairman of the party, Bello Haliru, said Fayose must be sanctioned for his declaration.

He said, “Zoning and rotation are part of the PDP constitution. We must adhere to them if we are to keep this party alive. There are people who are bent on contesting whether the office is zoned to their place or not. We must discuss with the South so that anybody who goes against zoning can be punished.

“We cannot afford to have people come to the convention and make a fool of themselves and ridicule the party.”