The zoning of the presidential ticket and national chairmanship of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is threatening to wreak more havoc on the party , Metronetworknews learnt.
Following reports that the chairmanship has been allocated to the South by the party’s Zoning Committee led by Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, two Southern governors as well as scores of National Assembly (NASS) members, are said to have commenced plans to dump PDP ahead of its national convention.
Sources close confided in our correspondent that dissatisfied with the decision which they interpret to mean an automatic move to forestall zoning of the 2023 presidential ticket to the South, the governors, who incidentally had been approached by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the past, have resolved to dump their party “before it is too late to do so.”
An aide to one of the governors who is from the South-South, speaking on condition of anonymity said his principal was extremely sad about the decision of the zoning committee.
“Plans are now in top gear for us to disassociate our state from the ill-advised zoning arrangement. Our governor has made it clear from day one that what we want is the 2023 presidential ticket of the party. That is why no chieftain of the PDP from our state has shown interest in the national chairmanship position,” he said.
“He has been one of those urging the party to do the right thing. His contributions to the discussion during the recent Southern governors meeting where they all agreed to press their parties to zone the presidency to the South is on record. That is why he’s shocked to see the outcome of the zoning committee’s report, headed by a fellow governor who was also at the meeting.”
He disclosed that APC emissaries had visited his boss earlier in the year with a view to getting him to defect, but as a loyal party man he made it clear the only reason he would leave PDP was if the party failed to give the 2023 presidential ticket to the South.
“His fears have just been confirmed and those saying he’s on his way out of the party are merely saying what they know will happen next,” the aide stated.
Checks by Metro network news further revealed that the concerned governor, while speaking to a parley of selected PDP leaders held at Government House in his state on Friday, insisted that it was impossible for him to campaign for a northern presidential candidate in 2023.
