… Atiku says zoning is not solution to Nigeria’s problems
Olusola Bello
National Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has approved the recommendation of its committee to zone the position of national chairman to the North.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbondiyan, briefed journalists about the decision after the NEC meeting, which was held in Abuja on Thursday.
Based on the decision, all positions in the party currently occupied by people from the South will go to the North and those occupied by people from the North will go to the South.
The PDP NEC also retained the scheduled date for the party’s convention.
It is scheduled to take place on October 30 and 31.
In his opening remarks, the acting National Chairman, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi underscored the importance of the meeting to the survival of the party.
Akinwonmi said the All Progressives Congress and other onlookers who think that the meeting will further deepen the crisis in the party will be disappointed with the outcome.
Meanwhile, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was also present, said the party has the right to determine who represents them or not, just as citizens reserve the right to decide who to vote for.
He said where a President comes from has neither been the problem nor the solution to Nigeria’s problems.
“Where the president comes from has never been the problem of Nigeria, and I can cite examples; neither will it be the solution. There is no such thing as a president from Southern Nigeria or a president from Northern Nigeria.
“There is only one president from Nigeria, for Nigeria, by Nigerians,” Atiku said.
Meanwhile former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says where the president comes from has never been the solution to the series of problems facing the nation.
He stated that the next president can come from any region as his party – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) moves to reclaim power at the centre in 2023.
Atiku made the remark on Thursday at the meeting of the PDP National Executive Committee held at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.
“The PDP has the right to determine its rules on how the party should be governed,” he said. “The people of Nigeria also have the right to determine who governs them.
“Where the president comes from has never been the problem of Nigeria, and I can cite examples; neither will it be the solution. There is no such thing as a president from Southern Nigeria or a president from Northern Nigeria.
“There is only one president from Nigeria, for Nigeria, by Nigerians.”
Addressing members of the party’s highest decision-making body who approved the recommendations of the PDP Zoning Committee, he asked them to be fair and just in deciding where the party’s presidential candidate would come from.
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the main opposition party in the 2019 elections, believes the PDP has the right to determine who represents it or not, just as citizens reserve the right to decide who to vote for.
According to him, there is nothing like a southern or northern president as what is important is that such an individual must be a Nigerian.
The former vice president stressed that the decision of the NEC would largely determine whether or not the PDP would have a chance in 2023 to return to power or not.
“Since the inception, this party has faced serious challenges and has risen above sentiments to solve those challenges and move forward,” he added.