Merit or Zone? PDP Panel Finally Reveals How Party's Presidential Candidate Should Be Selected in 2023
- The PDP has been taking important required steps as it seeks to defeat the ruling APC in the 2023 general elections
- As part of these efforts, the party set up a committee to review the 2019 general elections and recommend what should be done to ensure victory in 2023
- The committee has now submitted its report and advised the party to use the yardstick of merit in selecting its next presidential flag bearer
PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
A panel of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said merit, not zoning, should determine the party’s presidential candidate in the general elections in 2023.
Daily Trust reported that the panel which was chaired by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state was constituted to review the performance of the party in the 2019 general elections.
Submitting the report of his committee to the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) on Wednesday, March 17, Governor Mohammed said every part of the country should be given the opportunity to choose the best candidate.
Source: Facebook
The Bauchi state governor said the argument that the north-east and southeast geo-political zones should be given special consideration because they "have had the shortest stints at the presidency" is valid.
He, however, cautioned the opposition party not to lose sight of the fact that Nigeria has many capable hands from every part of the country.
His words:
“In line with certain unwritten conventions of the nation’s history, many people think that, for fairness and equity, the North East and South East geo-political zones that have had the shortest stints at the presidency should be given special consideration in choosing the presidential flag bearer of the party for the 2023 elections.
“While we admit that this is a strong argument, we should not lose sight of the fact that Nigeria is endowed with many capable and very experienced leaders in every part of the country. Moreover, the exigencies of the moment demand that nothing should be compromised in choosing the leader with the attributes to disentangle the country from the present quagmire.
“Therefore, we think that every Nigerian, from every part of the country, should be given the opportunity to choose the best candidate through a credible primary election, as a way of institutionalising a merit-based leadership recruitment process, for the country."
Receiving the panel’s report, the PDP's national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, said the NWC will study and analyse the report meticulously and come up with a position that will be beneficial to the party.
He said the party is leaving no stone unturned to ensure it takes over the federal power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023.
PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
Meanwhile, not less than 5000 PDP youths from the southwest have thrown their weight behind Governor Nyesom Wike ahead of the 2023 presidential election.
The youths said with Governor Wike in the picture as a running mate, the PDP stands a better chance than it ever had to remove the APC from the centre of national politics.
They argued that without gainsaying, the Rivers governor, with laudable contributions both in the PDP's affairs and in his leadership in the state is a formidable force to reckon with.
*****
Nurudeen Lawal is a Legit.ng journalist passionate about fact-checking/verification journalism. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature-in-English from Obafemi Awolowo University. As Politics Editor, Nurudeen mostly writes on Nigeria’s political and socio-economic developments. He has attended different workshops, conferences and training on fact-checking and digital reporting, among others. Learn more about him on Twitter, @Nurudeen Lawal_
Source: Legit.ng
