By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been told by a chieftain of the party to perish any thoughts of ceding the 2023 presidential position to the northern part of the country, as doing so would run contrary to democratic principles of fairness, balance and inclusion.
This call was made in a statement on Sunday, January 23, 2022, by a prominent outspoken chieftain of the party and former Edo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Kassim Afegbua.
The PDP national chairman, Prof. Iyorchia Ayu, is already from the North.
According to Afegbua, given PDP’s doctrine of political power balancing and fairness, it will be against its own unwritten rule to cede the ticket to any northern aspirànt.
He stressed that “The Southern geopolitical zones of Nigeria have eminently qualified Nigerians and parade great minds who are competent and ready to take a shot at the number one job.
“Those who are advancing very nebulous theory of seeing the northern population as a stimulant to win the sympathy of the North against the South are either ignorant of the real demographics or at best, just playing the ostrich. No one in the North should take away what belongs to the South. That will be hurting the consciences and feelings of the average southerner.
“A Nigerian of southern extraction deserves to be given unfettered opportunity to represent the party in the 2023 presidential contest. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his northern aspirànts should support the aspiration of an upwardly mobile and younger elements from the South to fly the PDP flag. Anything short of such will be tantamount to standing logic on its head, and a deliberate attempt to undermine the collective interest and aspirations of the Southern aspirànts.
“I will therefore implore the new management and members of the National Executive Committee of the PDP as well as the National Working Committee to speak with one voice in ensuring that the South is given what is due to it. Doing that, will mean promoting the fundamental principles of democracy of all inclusiveness and participation.
“Let it be known that I will not hesitate to commence the process of mobilizing, sensitizing and conscientizing like minds and team up with other stakeholders to drum up the necessary support that will birth a Southern candidate for the party. Justice should not only be served, it must be seen to have been served.
“Nigerians in their millions are tired of seeing the faces of persons who have dominated the political space in the last forty years and yet, unwilling to take a bow. In the spirit of the new thinking and paradigm shift, please tell them to allow us to breathe.”