Saraki: North-central Crucial to Winning Presidential Polls

Saraki: North-central Crucial to Winning Presidential Polls

•PDP reconciliation team engages Ayu, Mark

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former Senate President and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Reconciliation Committee, Senator Bukola Saraki has emphasised the importance of the north central geopolitical zone in the country, noting that no political party could win an election at the centre without first winning the zone.

This is as Saraki and his team visited former senate president and an erstwhile Minister of Industry, Senator David Mark and Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as part of the engagement of the founding members of the party and how to move the party forward.

Saraki in his verified tweeter handle wrote: “As we continue our engagements with influential leaders in our party, this afternoon, the #PDPReconciliation & Strategy Committee is meeting with the former Senate President, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, at his home in Abuja.”
Though details of the meeting was not known at press time, it was not unconnected to bringing founding members of the party that had kept off its affairs for a while.

However, when the team left Ayu’s place, it headed straight to Mark’s, also for the same reasons and engagements, details of which had been kept away from the public, allegedly for strategic reasons.
In another tweet, he stated: “As we continue to engage with leaders across our great party, earlier today, the #PDPReconciliation and Strategy Committee met with key stakeholders from Niger State. At the meeting, we discussed solutions to the issues that have fostered disunity in the party at the state level.”

Saraki, while speaking with PDP members from Niger State, said the north central zone of the country held the key to winning any central elections in the country.
“The facts are there for any one to check. You cannot win any central election in Nigeria without winning the elections in the North Central geopolitical zone.

“Also, you cannot win the north central zone elections, without winning the election in Niger State,” Saraki said, explaining that it was for the reason that his committee commenced its engagements and reconciliations with Niger State.
He continued, “I stand for truth and justice. Those who think that we cannot reconcile should go out and see those who we have reconciled in real terms.”

Late yesterday, Saraki also met with a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, after which he tweeted, saying, “As part of our ongoing efforts to reconcile the leaders and members of our great, last week, I had a meeting with the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

“As a follow-up to that engagement and consultation, this evening, I just wrapped up an extensive but fruitful meeting with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State.
“As we continue to listen to and learn about the concerns of stakeholders of our party, it is great to observe their willingness to work towards forging a stronger and more united Peoples Democratic Party”.

He, therefore, called for real term reconciliation based on justice, as this was the only way the PDP could speak with one voice and fight for the return of the party to leadership at the centre.
Last week, the PDP Reconciliation and Strategy Committee met former President Goodluck Jonathan and some former governors elected on the platform of the party as well as members of the PDP Board of Trustees.

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