* Southern govs insist on equity, justice
In a move described as a strategic political alliance, the four known aspirants to the presidential ticket of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) from the South-east have come together to fight as a bloc.
The quartet agreed to bond as a team and demand that the zone, by the tenets of justice and fairness, shall be entitled to the presidential ticket for the 2023 election.
After a meeting of the four aspirants – Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa (Abia), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim (Ebonyi), Mr. Peter Obi(Anambra) and Chief Nwachukwu Anakwenze (Anambra) – in Abuja, they agreed to work as a team, pledging to fully support any of them that eventually clinches the party’s ticket.
The development came days after Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike hosted the northern aspirants at a meeting in Port Harcourt. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was perhaps the only party big wig absent.
Watchers of political events in the country read Wike’s body language as an attempt to spite, and work against the South-east zone, which has since 1999 voted en bloc for the PDP.
For now, the presidential aspirants of the PDP are insisting that the party’s presidential ticket for 2023 be zoned to their area.
They declared: “We have resolved to work together as a team and fight together as one to make sure that the zone wins the presidential ticket.”
Meanwhile, southern governors elected on PFP platform have asked the party to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the southern part of the country, for equity and fairness.
They expressed their position on the issue of zoning while briefing newsmen after their meeting on Friday night at Akwa-Ibom Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.
Abia State governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, who spoke on their behalf, said they have watched with keen interest developments in PDP regarding zoning, but they have no reason to change their earlier stand.
L-R: Anyim, Obi, Ohuabunwa, and Anakwenze
“Our position is that first, we are committed to the unity of our party and we have worked hard to make sure that this party remains a strong and viable vehicle to ‘rescue’ Nigeria come 2023.
“Be that as it may, we want to draw your attention to the fact that we had agreed as southern governors both in Lagos and in Delta State that this party has to respect the zoning principle as enshrined in our Constitution.
“And to that effect, we feel that the best thing to do is zone the presidency to the South, and we stand on that position.
“We have not seen any reason to change our position, because the Party was founded on the basis of equity and justice.
“We also think that equity and justice are important pillars that will ultimately stabilise our politics towards our journey in rescuing Nigeria,” Ikpeazu said.
Asked if the governors would reconsider their position if making the party’s ticket open would give the PDP victory in 2023, Ikpeazu said “you haven’t told me why zoning will not give us victory.”
“What this country is lacking today is our ability to dispense equity and justice. It may be difficult; it may be a bitter pill, but we need to stand with the truth.”
At the meeting were governors of Enugu, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Abia and Oyo states.