A political pressure group within the Peoples Democratic Party, the PDP Justice and Equity group, has advised that the presidential ticket of the party should not be zoned to either the south or north of the country. The group is insisting that the ticket should be an open race where members of the party from both the north and south of the country are free to aspire for the office of the president of Nigeria.
The Justice and Equity group canvassed these positions in a memo to the Dr Sam Ortom-led PDP National Committee on Zoning, which was inaugurated by the national leadership of the party last week Thursday in Abuja. The memo was signed on behalf of the concerned members of the group by Eng. Hon Ahmed Muhktar, Hon Yemi Arokodare and Barrister Chima Ndugbu. While saying that they hold the position with utmost sense of responsibility, the concerned members of the PDP Justice and Equity group expressed the firm belief that the interest of the party will be better served when there is no polarity in the contest especially that arising from regional or zonal sentiments.
The group equally argued that the PDP, as an opposition party, cannot afford the luxury of boxing itself into a regional or sectional corner. While reasoning that zoning the office of the president to any section of the country will drive the party into a costly error, the group pointed out that what the PDP needs, at this time, is an open and inclusive race in which no member or section of the country will be excluded. The PDP Justice and Equity group cautioned the main opposition party in the country to shun the luxury of taking certain liberties, but instead, be guided by pragmatism and practical realities.
In their memo titled, “Our Case Against Zoning, the group said, “We are concerned members of PDP Justice and Equity Group an amalgamation of like minds interested in the triumph of PDP in 2023. “Our position is that the presidency should not be zoned to either the south or north of the country. “Rather, it should be an open race where members of the party from both the north and south of the country are free to aspire to the office of the president of Nigeria. We hold this position with utmost sense of responsibility.
“It is our firm belief that the interest of the party will be better served when there is no polarity in the contest especially that arising from regional or zonal sentiments. “We equally recognize the fact that the PDP as an opposition party is constrained in some ways. It cannot afford the luxury of boxing itself into a regional or sectional corner. “Zoning the office of the president to any section of the country will drive it into this costly error. “What the party needs at this time is an open and inclusive race in which no member or section of the country will be excluded. “As a matter of fact, the PDP as an opposition party must shun the luxury of taking certain liberties. It should, instead, be guided by pragmatism and practical realities.
