The Presidential ambition of the likes of Abubakar Atiku, Aminu Tambuwal and Bukola Saraki may be dead in arrival as the People’s Democratic Party will retain its tradition of zoning for the 2023 Presidential election, it National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, said Thursday.
Whoever fails to get the presidency this time should wait until the end of the tenure of the next President, Ayu said.
Ayu made the declaration when he inaugurated the 37-person zoning committee of the party at its national secretariat in Abuja.
PDP constituted the zoning committee after its 95th National Executive Council meeting on March 16, to make recommendations for the zoning of various elective positions before the elections.
The committee was given two weeks to draft the hallowed list, and is expected to submit its final zoning list on March 30.
Addressing delegates on Thursday, the chairman said,
“PDP has a history of rotating our offices. Anybody who doesn’t get it this time should wait after the tenure of whoever will be our next president,” Ayu said in an address to the party’s delegates on Thursday.
“We believe PDP is going to produce the next President once we start this journey. This time, we will ensure it goes round. And it will go round with justice, fairness and the interests of Nigeria.”
Ayu asked committee members to remain open to dialogue and strive to resolve differences amicably, noting that the same attitude led to its successful NEC meeting last week.
“You will recall that in the NEC meeting discussions, we had no rancour whatsoever. I implore all of you to continue in the same spirit. PDP has a reputation for discussing whatever issues that we have. We talk, we don’t fight, we resolve issues,” he reminded the members.
“There is no issue that is too difficult or too important for the PDP to resolve. That is the spirit of the party. Therefore I urge all of you to discuss this matter with the same spirit that you discussed at NEC. Let us not have any rancour whatsoever and at the end of the day, remain focused on the main goal.”
Ayu noted that the PDP would choose a presidential candidate Nigerians are proud of by the end of May 2022, pointing out that the party’s goal is to return to power in 2023.
“I believe that by the time we have the big prize in our hands, we will share it, we will rotate it the way we want,” he said.