2023: Cracks In Opposition Party, PDP As Wike, Other South-South Governors Demand Presidential Ticket
Rivers Governor Wike
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to be warming up for another round of crisis as the party remains divided along the North/South lines over its presidential ticket zoning for 2023.
On Monday, the South-South leadership of the party made up of governors, federal lawmakers, former governors and other stakeholders demanded that the zone should be handed the ticket “in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice.”
Rivers Governor Wike
The communique of the summit with the theme: “Engendering a Southsouth agenda for 2023 and beyond,” read by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, said: “The zone is fully in support of the position of the Southern Governor’s forum that the next President of Nigeria must come from the Southern part of Nigeria.”
Addressing the meeting earlier, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike asked the PDP to treat the South-south geo-political zone with fairness, justice and equity.
The governor said having consistently voted for the PDP since 1999, the party should not ignore the South-South’s contributions to its success.
Wike added: “The South-South is the pillar of the PDP. If the South-South is the pillar of the PDP, they must be treated with fairness, justice and equity.
“It is not only when it comes to work, it is not only when it comes to giving votes that we will all remember that the South-South is the pillar. When it also comes in terms of sharing, they should remember that this is the pillar of the party.”
Wike charged his colleagues, National Assembly members and other stakeholders from the zone to set aside their differences in the overall interest of the PDP.
“We have all said that Nigerians are waiting for PDP to take over in 2023. That is true. But we cannot take over if we are not united. We cannot take over if don’t work together.
“It is for us to put our house together and make Nigerians proud because if we don’t take over in 2023, Nigerians will never forgive PDP. We must take this opportunity and make Nigerians happy,” he said.
The governor said PDP had realised its past mistakes, and would not take Nigerians for granted when given another opportunity.
Wike said the Federal Government’s declaration that it had deleted Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act smacked of corruption.
However, no aspirant in the South-South zone, apart from Dele Momodu, has indicated interest to vie.
At the meeting were Governors Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Douye Diri (Bayelsa). Other dignitaries in attendance included PDP National Vice Chairman (Southsouth), Chief Dan Orbih; Senator George Sekibo; former Deputy House of Reps Speaker, Austin Opara; former governors Liyel Imoke (Cross River) and Celestine Omehia (Rivers).
Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki was the only South-South PDP governor absent at the meeting. He has been having a running battle with Wike.
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SaharaReporters, New York
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