Presidency 2023: PDP Govs Reportedly Disagree Over Committee’s No-Zoning Report, Allege Plot to Favour Atiku
- The permutations for the 2023 presidential election is allegedly tearing the opposition PDP apart
- A committee of the party had earlier recommended that the zoning principle should not be considered in selecting the presidential candidate in 2023
- However, some governors, especially those from the south, are reportedly angry over the committee's recommendation
PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!
Some governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have reportedly disagreed with the report of the Bala Mohammed-led committee which recommended that the party’s presidential ticket for 2023 be made open to all.
The committee led by Governor Mohammed of Bauchi state was charged with the responsibility of reviewing the party’s loss at the 2019 polls.
However, submitting its report recently, the committee recommended that the opposition party should not zone its 2023 presidential ticket to any zone.
According to the committee, aspirants from all the six geo-political zones in the country should feel free to seek the party’s presidential ticket.
However, The Nation reported that the recommendation has not gone down well with some influential governors from the party.
Ulterior motive
According to the newspaper, some of the governors whose names were not disclosed claimed Governor Mohammed had an ulterior motive for calling for the cancellation of zoning after the southeast had been made to believe that it was its turn to produce the presidential candidate in the next polls.
One of the sources was quoted to have said:
“Many governors are disappointed at the decision of the Bauchi governor to submit the report and even make its resolutions public.
“This is because the issue was already being debated among the governors prior to the submission of the report.
“The governors were not on the same page over what the party should do about zoning as regards the 2023 presidential ticket of the party."
The source added that even some members of the committee disagree with Governor Mohammed on the recommendation.
Plot to favour Atiku
The Nation also cited anonymous sources as saying that some governors, especially those from the south, accused the committee chairman and the national chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, of using the report to advance the 2023 chances of former vice president Atiku Abubakar.
It was gathered the southern PDP governors may soon meet over the development. Sources were also cited as claiming that some southern governors are angry that their northern colleagues are tacitly supporting moves aimed at jettisoning the zoning principle.
PDP speaks on zoning
The PDP has, however, said it is yet to adopt any position on zoning ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigeria’s #1 news app
2023: Gowon intervenes, reveals how candidates for presidential, governorship elections should be selected
Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state on Saturday, March 20, called on the PDP to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the south-south.
The Edo governor made this call in Benin, the state capital, at a reception ceremony to honour Chief Dan Orbih, PDP's new national chairman for the region.
Obaseki said it will amount to equity and fairness if the south-south is allowed to produce Nigeria's next president.
Source: Legit.ng