2023: Forget It, PDP Won’t Zone Presidency to South, Former Senate President Saraki Tells Obi, Others
- Former president of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has hinted that he might vie for the presidential ticket on the platform of the PDP
- Saraki made this known on Tuesday, October 26, in Lagos while featuring on a television programme
- According to him, the party has thrown open the contest for the 2023 presidential ticket to all zones
Lagos - Apparently undisturbed by the zoning of the national chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the north, a former Senate president, Bukola Saraki, has said that the presidential candidate of the party may also emerge from the zone ahead of the 2023 general election.
The Sun reports that Saraki made this known while speaking on a national television programme monitored in Lagos on Tuesday, October 26.
Source: Twitter
Legit.ng gathered that the former Kwara state governor debunked speculations that the party would zone its presidency to the south since it zoned its national chairmanship to the north.
According to him, the leadership of the party had at different fora reiterated its commitment to throwing open the contest for the 2023 presidential ticket to all zones as long as it gets the best candidate from the process.
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He said:
“On the issue of zoning, the party has made it very clear in all our meetings that even though we have zoned the position of party offices, it does not preclude anybody that has any presidential ambition.
"Most of our leaders have said that, and we have said that at our NEC, and all the possible meetings, that even though we have taken the chairmanship of the party to the North Central, it does not preclude anyone from contesting. What we are looking for is the best candidate that would win the election.”
Saraki said the party was undaunted by the defection of three of its governors (Ebonyi, Zamfara and Cross River), federal and state legislators, saying that such actions were expected.
He, however, said the PDP would receive a former governor into its fold this week, and that Nigerians should not be surprised if bigwigs from the All Progressives Congress (APC) defect to the PDP when the 2023 elections draw closer.
Addressing issues on his possible contest for the presidency in 2023, he said it was too early for anyone to declare such ambition, saying that if he contested and lost, he would leave the PDP.
Former Senate president Saraki clear air on alleged defection, 2023 presidency
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Saraki reacted to speculations that he may dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It was reported that Saraki while ruling out plans to abandon the opposition during an interview programme on Arise News TV on Tuesday morning, October 26, said he is a team player.
There have been rumours that the ex-governor of Kwara state will pitch his tent with the ruling party for the 2023 election if he fails to get the presidential ticket of the PDP.
Source: Legit.ng
