* Ayu: PDP has a history of zoning
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
For the second time in about a week, former Senate President and erstwhile Kwara State governor, Bukola Saraki, the Governors of Sokoto and Bauchi States, Aminu Tambuwal and Bala Mohammed – all presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – met again yesterday to continue their discussion on possible consensus candidate for the 2023 presidential bout.
This comes as the national chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, has acknowledged that the party has a history and tradition of zoning as contained in the PDP constitution
However, speaking after their meeting attended by other stakeholders from Sokoto, Kwara and Bauchi States, Saraki said he wanted Nigerians to know that the party and its members were in good discussions and that the discussions was an ongoing process.
He said they believed that only PDP has the real solutions to help Nigeria get out of the problems she was facing and that, “once we unite as PDP, we will lay the foundation for a strong party that will help in delivering Nigerians from the challenges they are facing now and prepare the country to become stronger.”
Continuing, Saraki further stated, “In continuation of our meeting in Bauchi, we agreed on Sunday that we’ll come and meet here in Abuja. The next meeting we are going to have will be in Sokoto, where the governor will host. This informs Nigerians that we’re are in good discussions; this is an ongoing process.
The more we meet, the more we’ll continue to share our views about the importance of the unity of our party. We believe that it is only PDP that has the real solutions to help us get out of the problems we are in today. We decided to reach out to other aspirants, we have identified senior leaders and stakeholders, some of them former colleagues and governors.
“We want all to be part of the process of bringing us together and uniting the party ahead. The major message we want to put across to Nigerians is that the country is larger and bigger.
“We believe that once we unite as PDP, we will lay the foundation for a strong party that will help in delivering Nigerians from the challenges they are facing now and prepare the country to become stronger.
“This is a process. We will continue to carry you along, keep you informed. All we are doing is for the interest of the party and for the interest of Nigeria,” Saraki stated.
However, addressing the zoning challenge, Ayu cautioned against bitter rivalry over the debate over the zoning of the PDP residential ticket, and urged party leaders to eschew bitterness while debating the issue.
Ayu spoke while inaugurating the 37-member committee set up to address the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket.
The committee, has already appointed the Benue State, Samuel Ortom as chairman, while the House of Representatives Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu, was made the deputy chairman and the PDP appointed a staff of the party, Emmanuel Ekpe, as the secretary.
According to Ayu, “At the beginning, we pushed the presidency to the south. I was one of those who took that decision. And there are many others here in this hall. After general Obasanjo, we voluntarily sent it to Katsina, faith played a fast one on us. But in the same spirit, after late Umaru Yar’dua, we sent it to Bayelsa.
“So, PDP has a history of rotating our offices. Anybody, who doesn’t get it this time should wait after the tenure of whoever will be our next president. We believe PDP is going to produce the next president once we start this journey this time. We will ensure it goes round. And it will go round with justice, fairness and the interests of the Nigeria.
“We talk, we don’t fight; we resolve issues. There is no issue that is too difficult or too important for the PDP to resolve than the spirit of the party. Therefore, I urge all of you to discuss this matter.
“With the same spirit that you discuss at NEC, because most of you are members of NEC, you knew what happened and you are free to advance your arguments. Let us not have any rancour whatsoever and at the end of the day, remain focused on the main goal.
“That main goal is for us to win power next year. And how do we win power? We can only win power by uniting, by working together, because even if you are from Ebonyi or Anambra and you fight to be the president of our country through the PDP platform, and you pursue it with rancour, even if you win party nomination, other people will not vote for you. They will not be willing to work for you.
“But if you pursue it without bitterness, whoever wins, we will rally round the person and then the party will win election next year. And there will be something for everybody; for every constituency in this country.”
Ayu, therefore, urged party leaders not to lose sight of ensuring unity, which carried the PDP through the last convention.
“So, there should be no rancour whatsoever. Remain focused on the bigger picture, because that is what we want. I believe by the time we have the big prize in our hands, we will share it; we will rotate it the way we want. If we had not been interrupted on this journey, about six years ago, we’d have started the same process,” he added.
