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…presidential aspirant urges PDP to zone ticket to South-East
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Zoning Committee on Tuesday submitted its report to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) without disclosing its recommendations.
The committee report was received by the PDP National Chairman, Sen. Iyorchia Ayu in Abuja.
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, while handing over the committee report to Ayu, said every member of the committee made input after which the decision was unanimously taken by all the 37 members.
He said that the decision was taken to promote the interests of the party in accordance with the guidelines given to them by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
“I am not by virtue of the terms of reference allowed to roll out the content of the resolution because our job is to finish, submit and theirs (NEC) to take decision.
“I believe that it is the NEC that has the statutory rights to release the content of what we have done. So I will officially on behalf of my colleagues make the presentation of submitting the report.”
Elumelu, who added that all members signed the report, disclosed that former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose disqualified himself because of his interest in the presidential election.
Ayu, while accepting the report, assured the committee chaired by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State that their recommendations would be transmitted to PDP NEC for discussion and final decision.
He said that the decision would be made known to party members across the country and all Nigerians who were eagerly awaiting the final decision of the committee.
He commended the committee for doing a great job without rancour, urging them to make themselves available for future assignments for the party.
“We are very proud of the work you have done; we did not hear any rancor. We did not hear anybody even talking about what you discussed.
“Given the sensitive nature of your assignment, if you had already released everything either by disagreement or rancour or anything it will be very difficult for this party, but you showed so much maturity and leadership.
“I believe all members of this great party appreciated the way you have conducted yourselves,” Ayu said.
2023: Saraki, other PDP presidential aspirants settle for consensus arrangement
Meanwhile, at least four presidential aspirants on the platform of the PDP say they will accept a consensus arrangement to position the party for victory in 2023.
The aspirants made the disclosure while briefing newsmen on the outcome of their visit to Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia in his Umuobiakwa country home in Obingwa Local Government Area (LGA) on Tuesday.
Speaking on behalf of other aspirants, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, said the decision was informed by their determination to make Nigeria better.
He said that the lives and welfare of Nigerians were more important than the individual ambition of every aspirant.
He said said: “Nigerians are going through hardship and insecurity.
“These are the events that are happening in the country that make some of us to see that we are doing the right thing.
“Let me reassure Nigerians that we are very determined and driven by the determination to make this country work.
“If this is the sacrifice that we will make to turn things around in Nigeria, we want to let Nigerians know that we are willing to make it.”
Saraki said that they were in Abia to seek the governor’s support to ensure that the consensus arrangement would work so that PDP would win the general elections.
He further said that Ikpeazu’s encouraging words had inspired and further motivated them to move forward.
Saraki said that this was the first time aspirants would come together on their own to adopt a consensus arrangement.
He said that although the initiative was a tough challenge, they were convinced it would make Nigeria work.
“We are heading for Enugu to see the governor of the state and by the time we have visited Enugu we would have completed the tour of the 19 PDP states and the governors have shown their support,” he said.
Responding, Ikpeazu expressed delight over the development, saying that it had rekindled his hope in the emergence of a new Nigeria.
He described the consensus arrangement as “a commendable and altruistic initiative”.
He said it was borne out of the desire to forge an alliance to transform the nation.
“I want to say that you have my commitment and cooperation to move on and I will do my bit to ensure that all of us come together.
“The survival of our country, interest of the poor masses of the country should come before whatever personal agenda we have.
“I am happy that Nigeria has patriots and leaders, who are capable of putting Nigeria first,” the governor said.
He promised to support efforts aimed at uniting the party and helping it to present a common front during the upcoming elections.
The aspirants included Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State and Alhaji Mohammed Hayatu-Deen.
Presidential aspirant urges PDP to zone ticket to South-East
However, Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the PDP has appealed to the party to zone its presidential ticket to the South-East.
Anakwenze said this on Tuesday in Abuja shortly after he submitted his expression of interest and nomination forms at the party’s national secretariat.
He said that the south-east was the only zone that had yet to produce the nation’s president since the return to civil rule in 1998.
According to him, the southwest was compensated for the death of Chief MKO Abiola, the winner of the 1993 presidential election and the South-East supported this.
“It is time for everybody to support the southeast, the southwest has had its own turn, south-south has had its own turn too.
“So, for equity and fairness, the party’s ticket and presidency should be zoned to southeast,” he said.
He appealed to party stalwarts and delegates to reconsider the issue of zoning for equity and fairness.
“This is why some of us are throwing our hats into the ring to be able to talk to the PDP family and delegates that will come for the congress to consider fairness.
“We have shown strength, commitment, respect, honour and this is the time that PDP need to reconsider the brain that will recover this country from total collapse,” he said.
Anakwenze appealed to Nigerians to support the course for the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the southeast.
He pledged to restore Nigeria’s past glory by rebuilding the economic structure and reviving comatose industries, if elected as the president of the country.
Anakwenze promised to put an end to petroleum scarcity by leveraging on the Petroleum Industrial Bill (PIB) through creation of modular refineries in the country.
The PDP has fixed April 25 for the screening of its presidential aspirants.
PDP presidential aspirants seek consensus, not for northern agenda – Saraki
Earlier, a group of PDP presidential aspirants, seeking consensus candidate said on Tuesday that consultations with stakeholders was not about a northern agenda, but about a united Nigeria.
Saraki, who is one of the aspirants, stated this while addressing journalists after a meeting of the aspirants with Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
The meeting held at the Enugu State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja.
The aspirants include Saraki, Gov. Mohammed Bala of Bauchi State, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and a businessman, Muhammad Hayatudeen
Saraki said the group of aspirants, which had been going around the country to promote the need for consensus candidate had been emphasising that it was not a northern agenda.
“When we started about three weeks ago, most of the aspirants we had then were mainly from the north.
“We have now been talking to aspirants across the country because more people have come out in the South and we are all going to meet.
“We are talking about Nigeria. We are not talking about the northern aspirants or southern aspirants.
“I have good news that already, the same move is being made by aspirants in the South and eventually all will meet and see to one consensus; that consensus is a Nigerian that represents all the groups.
“So, I just want to be clear about that; and be reassured it is not about just issue of a northern consensus, not at all; it is a consensus for the PDP and one Nigeria,’’ Saraki stressed.
Saraki described the Abuja meeting as successful and said the four aspirants were talking to colleagues and stakeholders on how to unite all the aspirants to ensure that they create a platform for the party to take over government.
He decried level of insecurity, hardship and high cost of living in the country, saying it was clear that it was only a PDP government that could reverse the trend or rescue the country.
“To do that, we require unity on our side. That is why individually, we have all decided that our interests and ambitions are secondary to that of the party and that of the nation.
“The most important ambition now is how to begin to fix Nigeria and put Nigeria on the right course,” he said.
Saraki added that the aspirants were very committed to ensuring that they stood together on a consensus that would help the party to win the 2023 election.
He said the group also believed that anything that must be done, either in the development of the country or the party, must be based on equity, justice and fairness.
In his remarks, Gov. Ugwuanyi said he believed in justice, equity and fairness, in arriving at a consensus candidate.