Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the United for Better Nigeria Initiative (UBNi) has advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the north to respect the decision of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on the zoning of the national chairmanship to the region and the presidential candidacy strictly zoned to the South.
The group also warned that leaving the party’s presidential ticket open to all the six geo-political zones would create tension and political acrimony within the party.
The 94th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),recently , declared support of the governors of the party, and unanimously adopted the report of the National Convention Zoning Committee (NCZC), chaired by the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and zoned the national chairmanship of the party to the north.
The National coordinator of UBNi Chief (Mrs) Nkolika Mkparu Okeke, in a statement warned that the northern caucus could scuttle chances of the PDP to form the central government, come 2023 if they insist on altering a generally known formula in which each of these high profile offices was zoned to each region, in the past.
Okeke further explained that the 13 serving governors of the party could not be wrong on their zoning arrangement as ratified by NEC, adding that taking a common position by stakeholders of the party, north, and south, would increase the chance of PDP at 2023 polls.
“Politics is about compromise. The northern caucus should not frustrate the efforts of the PDP governors to provide a formidable presidential candidate that can win the 2023 election. In the interest of equity, fairness, and justice, the northern stakeholders should embrace the zoning arrangement in which the party chairmanship is to the North and to support a southern Presidential candidate in 2023,” she said.
Okeke, however, described calls from quarters in the party to jettison the zoning arrangement as an act of bully and unfairness, adding that the party had always zoned its ticket to avoid divisive tendencies and ensure massive support and cohesion.
