Ahead of the May 28 primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, said the party must zone the 2023 presidential ticket in its interest.
The former Ekiti State Governor stated this after appearing before the ex-Senate President David Mark-led screening committee on Friday in Abuja.
He noted that “you can tar all the roads here, you can do every good work on infrastructure but when the people are not happy when people are not looked after, then you have done nothing.
On zoning, Fayose said, “I am for zoning and I believe the best thing this party can do for posterity, for tomorrow, so as not to cause confusion is for this party to zone this presidential ticket to the south.”
According to him, in 1999 it was zoned to the South which brought former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Olu Falaye, despite zoning, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi was still congested within the ambit of the Constitution. But the party must remember, whatever we do today, will stand against us tomorrow.
“And we must be courageous enough to say this is going to South. If you want to contest the Nigerian constitution still gives you the leverage, the opportunity to do so. I support zoning PDP 2023 ticket to southern Nigeria,” Fayose said.
Also, the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel unlike Fayose said he will abide by the party’s decision.
DAILY POST reports that Governor Udom Emmanuel and other PDP Governors in the South had insisted that PDP zone its 2023 ticket to the south.
He said “I don’t see any problem if there were not many aspirants, I would have been worried. Honestly, that’s where it would have been boring.
He said delegates will determine who will rescue and restore this country but trust me, saying “whoever they will bring up as the candidate of the party will be one of the best that this country has ever produced.”
On zoning, he said, “party is supreme, if the party has spoken we will all abide by what the party has said.”
In a separate interview with newsmen, former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi downplayed zoning, stressing that care for Nigerians matters most.
Obi said “the party has the final say. If the party says this is where they want the party to go, if you’re a member of an organization, you respect that organization. And that is why I said, whatever we do, the most critical thing is what we do to pull Nigerians out of poverty and create a future for teeming unemployed youths of Nigeria”.
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