2023 PRESIDENCY: Anger as APC, PDP mull ceding tickets to North

ANGER yesterday, greeted alleged plots of some leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to cede their 2023 presidential tickets to the North.

After zoning their national chairmanship slots to the North, with northerners emerging as national chairmen of both parties, the leading parties have been foot-dragging on zoning the presidency to the South.

The Northern Elders Forum, weekend, clamoured for the presidency to be thrown open to all parts of the country.

APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, on Friday, said the party had not taken a decision on zoning and did not disclose when the party would do so.

Asked if the party had zoned the presidential ticket to the South, he said: “I am today privileged to be the chairman of the party. The party is greater than me. The party has not made a decision and I cannot pre-empt what the party’s decision will be.”

The PDP hierarchy is yet to take a decision on the issue. Its committee on zoning, led by Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, recently recommended that the race be thrown open.

The non-committal stance of both parties on zoning elicited furore, yesterday.

We’ll work against PDP, APC, any party that zones its ticket to North —MBF 

The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has vowed to collaborate with sister groups in the southern part of the country to work against the interest of the PDP, APC, or any other political party that zones its presidential ticket to the North.

National President of the MBF, Dr Bitrus Pogu, told Vanguard in Makurdi, yesterday that such political parties would have to contend with the regional groups because of their position and resolve to have the presidency moved to the South in the interest of fairness, equity and good conscience remains intact.

He said: “Our position has not changed and it will not change.

If they decide to do that they will have to contend with us because we are going to campaign vigorously against them. We will work against them.

“And if there is any political party that does the right thing, Nigerians will move in that direction. We cannot continue with the way we are and the way things are. If there are a bunch of cowards and people who do not love Nigeria, in both the PDP and APC, let them try it.

“Nigeria is for all Nigerians, it is not for northerners, it is not for Muslims, it is not for Christians, it is for all Nigerians. And if they feel that Nigeria can be dominated because of their interest, and they feel that they will win if they zone it to the North, let them try it.

“Was it the North that gave Atiku all those votes he scored in the previous election? Was it the North that gave Buhari all the votes? The South has spoken, we in the Middle Belt have spoken and they are going to see the kind of campaign we will embark on. Let them try it.”

It’ll fly against the spirit of equity, justice —Afenifere.

In like manner, the pan-Yoruba Socio-political Organisation, Afenifere, warned that any attempt to zone the presidency to the North in 2023 would not only be unfair but also fly against the spirit of equity, justice and harmonious relationship in the country.

Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, insisted that political parties would not be fair if they failed to stick to the zoning of their presidential slots to the South.

He said: “Since the advent of the present civilian dispensation, the presidency has always been on rotation between the North and South. It started with the South when former President Olusegun Obasanjo ruled for eight years. His administration was followed by that of late President Musa Yar Adua whose life was unfortunately cut short by death. Yar’Adua was from the North thus maintaining the rotational arrangement. Dr Goodluck Jonathan from the South took over and ruled for six years.