2023: PDP Group Advocates Scrapping of Zoning in Taraba

 Wole Ayodele

Ahead of the 2023 general election, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) group in Taraba State has enjoined the party’s stakeholders to jettison any zoning arrangement and elect aspirants with the best credentials and acceptability across the state. The group, under the auspices of Central Zone Like Minds Movement For a Better Taraba, noted that the zoning arrangement currently in place in the state is outdated, unconstitutional and has outlived its usefulness in the political structure.

This is coming a few days after another group, Northern Group Alliance for Good Governance, equally made the same call at a press conference in Jalingo. Addressing a press conference at Bali, headquarters of Central Zone, the Chairman of group, Hamza Garba Jamil, stated that all the three zones of the state have produced governors and therefore advocated that the race should be thrown open for the most credible and acceptable candidates to emerge. According to the group, “We would like to state unequivocally that the agitation for zoning arrangement being champoined by some politicians is outdated, unconstitutional and has outlived its usefulness in our political structure. “This is because all the three senatorial zones have tasted the governorship of the state. It is time for us as a people to elect an astute politician with the capacity to unite all competing interests while also harnessing the abundant human and natural resources for the rapid and overall development of our dear state.”

The group however noted that its consultations across the state have revealed that former a Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Joel Ikenya, is the most acceptable candidate for the governorship position in 2023.
The group also called on all the stakeholders of PDP in Central Zone to endorse the deputy governor of the state, Haruna Manu, for the senatorial seat of Central district. “After painstaking deliberation and thorough consultation with different groups in our zone, we wish to affirm unanimously that Senator Joel Danlami Ikenya is not only the right man but also the most qualified for the job at hand. We therefore call on him to run for governor under the PDP platform in 2023. “We also lend our support to the senatorial ambition of Engr. Haruna Manu, the state Deputy Governor, and assure him of our 100 per cent support to this cause,” it said.

Other speakers at the event including all former chairmen of the six local government councils of the zone also threw their weights behind the former minister and the incumbent deputy governor of the state. 
They however urged all eligible voters who are yet to register for their Permanent Voter Cards to immediately commence the process of obtaining it in order not to be disenfranchised.