By Victor Nwegede
Ebonyi State Chapter of the Peoples Democractic Party, PDP, on Tuesday issued a week ultimatum to the National Executive Council of the party to consider zoning the 2023 Presidential ticket to the Southeast Zone of Nigeria.
The state PDP Chairman, Barr. Peter Onyekachi Nwebonyi made this statement while briefing newsmen in Abakaliki.
Nwebonyi said, PDP in Ebonyi State is formidable and stands for equity and fairness, maintained that its members are intact and will always work for the progress of the party to regain power at the centre if the power brokers in its fold allow justice, equity, and fairness to take precedence in driving the objectives and ideologies of the party.
He said the zone has personalities who are competent and fit for the country's apex position come 2023 Presidential elections and also urged the PDP national leadership to consider the yarnings of its party faithfuls from the region.
His words: "We wish to also urge the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP to consider zoning the presidency to the Southeast. This should be done within a week as INEC has announced the date for the 2023 Presidential elections.
"The Southeast has notable personalities who have performed exceedingly well in public service. Of course, we apparently have the best brains in the country. We have the likes of Senator Pius Anyim, Dr. Peter Obi, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Senator Theodore Orji, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who have accolades that speak volumes. There are other capable dignitaries many of who occupy public positions currently who have performed well and can be President of this country.
"With regard to the aforesaid, Ebonyi State PDP will stand fully in support of Prince Uche Secondus for a second term as national chairman of the party. We therefore enjoin the party, in whatever arrangement not to tamper with the seat of the national chairman. Having performed satisfactorily well; leading the party to epochal victories, Secondus deserves a second term. That is non negotiable."
The Ebonyi PDP Boss noted that, "since the inception of this democratic dispensation, PDP has never thrown its Presidential ticket open to all zones. It has always been rotated between the south and the north. In that arrangement, the Southeast has always delivered every Presidential candidates of the party at the polls. In 1999 and 2003 Presidential elections, Obasanjo all won in the Southeast. In 2007 Yar'Adua won in the Southeast and Jonathan too won in 2011 and 2015. Also in 2019, Atiku Abukakar won the Presidential elections in the Southeast with a wide margin. It is therefore, a crass show of hypocrisy if the PDP denies the Southeast that chance. To that effect, we do vehemently demand that the NEC meeting of the PDP be convened within one week to ratify the issue and zone the presidential ticket of the party to the Southeast."
Along the line, he said, "in the event that these demands are not met, Ebonyi State Chapter of the PDP will not accept any other arrangement as that might cause apathy among the teaming supporters of the party in the state. The tradition of the party should be maintained, as we can't allow the legitimate yearning of the Southeast people to be swept under the carpet going by the recent pronouncement of the national leadership of the PDP which suggests that the Southeast will not enjoy the benefits of zoning which other zones have enjoyed. A stitch in time saves nine."
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