Spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Debo Ologunagba over the weekend described as “completely misleading” the position of former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu that the party has resolved to field a northerner as its 2023 presidential candidate.
Aliyu, had last week, told a pro-Atiku Abubakar group, former Vice President that the party had resolved to field a northerner as its presidential candidate.

Femi Fani-Kayode, a member of  ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, followed up, alleging also that the PDP had already willed its 2023 presidential ticket to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.

Reacting however,  Ologunagba declared that the party has not zoned its presidency slot, and urged party members and the public to disregard such rumour mongering.

In a statement on Saturday titled, “2023: We Have Not Zoned Our Presidential Ticket -PDP”, the PDP spokesman stated that
“The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party has been drawn to comments and speculations from certain individuals claiming that our party has zoned its presidential ticket to a particular part of the country.

“This is completely misleading as it does not in any way represent the position of our party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP emphatically and unequivocally states that it has not zoned its presidential ticket to any part of the country.
“The PDP is a political party founded on democratic principles and every action of the party, including zoning is based on extensive consultations, discussions and consideration of all the issues as well as the various tendencies and interests across the nation, with the main objective of ensuring that the unity, peaceful co-existence and development of our nation are reinforced and promoted.

“The PDP therefore urges Nigerians, our teeming members and supporters to completely disregard the unfounded zoning claims as being peddled. Our party also cautions those behind the claims to desist forthwith.

“The PDP thanks Nigerians across board for the overwhelming interest they have in our party as their sure platform to Rescue and Rebuild our nation from misrule and urges them to remain united and focused as we join forces for the task ahead.”

Meanwhile, the Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) and founding member of governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu has commended the opposition  PDP for the timely clarification of its stand on zoning the 2023 Presidency.

The PDP had through its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said yesterday that it was yet to zone its presidential ticket contrary to claims by former Governor, Babangida Aliyu.

Speaking to journalists, Okechukwu said his party, the APC and the PDP, hold the key to the preservation of Nigeria’s unity by observing the zoning convention, which midwifed the 4th Republic in 1999.

He noted that supporting a President from Southeast would be APC and by extension President Muhammadu Buhari’s greatest legacy to the socio-political stability and development of Nigeria.

Welcoming the PDP’s stance as very interesting and refreshing, Okechukwu maintained that “the two dominant political parties in our multi-party system, hold the key to restoration of Nigeria’s unity by observing the zoning convention.

“It was that same zoning convention that midwifed our 4th Republic and we are waiting for the two to save our fledgling democracy,” he said.
He explained that his adamant campaign for zoning is that political power has always rotated between the north and south, adding, “My major concern is the peace, unity and prosperity of our dear fatherland.”

He asserted that in political activities, the law, with its legal teeth, combines with convention and its moral weight, stressing that both played prominent roles in the political economies of all countries at one point or the other.

“It was based on this premise, for instance, that patriots like former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Solomon Daushep Lar, Alhajis Abubakar Rimi, Umaru Shinkafi, Adamu Ciroma, Dr Olusola Saraki, all of blessed memory, and a host of others shelved their self-interest and adopted the zoning convention, thereby saving our country. We need the same zoning convention to further stabilise Nigeria,” he stated.

On whether APC would heed his admonition, Okechukwu declared: “Mine is to walk the path of persuasion, I know our great party, APC is not aversed to zoning. In fact, zoning was one of the factors that built national resolve and enhanced our victory in 2015.

“I have lived for 33 years in the north, I know Nigeria sufficiently well that every geopolitical zone has eminently qualified persons to preside over the country  therefore, none should be denied the opportunity. I also know that it is not the region, which produced the President that benefits more, so it is a soothing balm in nation building.”

Responding to the seeming confusion over which micro-zone in the South should get the Presidency, Okechukwu stated: “Without being immodest, it is the turn of the Southeast; our brothers in Southwest had eight years 1999-2007 and eight years of Vice President 2015-2023, while our South-South brothers had 2010-2015. Thus going by equity, natural justice and good conscience it is the turn of the Southeast.

“Zoning to Southeast will be the end of the civil war and end of IPOB. It will give Ndigbo renewed faith in Nigeria, sense of belonging and national loyalty. To a large extent, allowing a person from Southeast to succeed President Buhari would be the President’s greatest legacy.”

In a related development, a political tendency,  the United Nigeria Ambassadors (UNA), has said that the South-East Geo-political zone will support the emergence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as the country’s next president if he accepts to run for presidency in 2023.

National Coordinator of the UNA, Mr Timothy Nwachukwu, gave the assurance in a statement, issued yesterday in Abuja.

Nwachukwu emphasized that the Southeast would support Osinbajo to emerge as Nigeria’s president in 2023 to consolidate on the already existing projects which the present administration had massively embarked on in the zone.

He noted that Nigerians across the six geo-political zones have been calling on Osinbajo to run for the presidency.

Nwachukwu while reminiscing over the impact of the shared facilities inaugurated by Osinbajo in Ogbunike, Anambra, thanked Osinbajo for supporting the state.
He also thanked him especially for the support Anambra had received from the Federal Government across different sectors in the state.

He noted that thousands of small businesses had benefitted from schemes implemented by the Buhari-Osinbajo-led Government including direct disbursements to businesses in Anambra.
He said shoe manufacturers in Ogbunike who were producing 200 to 400 shoes a month, using manual processes were benefiting from the project.

This, he said, had transformed businesses within and around the cluster by hugely increasing their production capacity.
“In Imo, the fashion facility centre along Amakohia road in Owerri which was inaugurated by Osinbajo will service about 350 small businesses daily.
” It comprises 200 world class fashion equipment both manual and fully automated industrial machines,” he said.

This, he said, included straight sewing, weaving, embroidery, monograph and monogram machines which could design up to eight apparel a day with a speed of 1,500 per hour.
Nwachukwu further stated that Anambra-born Dr George Moghalu, Managing Director, National Inland Water Ways, would ensure that the concession of Onitsha Inland River Port which was in its final stages would make the Onitsha Port operational.

He expressed optimism that this would effectively decongest the Apapa Ports in Lagos and ultimately translate into a reduction in the cost of imported goods for business men across the South East.
On the second Niger bridge project which had achieved 65 per cent completion, Nwachukwu assured that when completed in October 2022, it would offer significant socio-economic benefits to the South-East states and the entire country.

He said that the project would also ease traffic flow on the already congested bridge, improve road safety, and create greater opportunities for residents and neighbouring states, thereby regenerating economic life.