The Northern leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has reiterate that the party’s Presidential aspirant, Ayodele Fayose, should respect zoning and forget about his presidential ambition.
The leaders said the region has a lot of Presidential candidates that can represent the party come 2019 and urged the Ekiti State Governor to respect the party’s zoning system.
Fayose, a Southern,er has declared his intention to contest for President under the party, though it has been zoned to the North.
In his speech at the official declaration of the his ambition, he said:
“Most importantly, despite that the party has zoned the presidency to the North, it may interest you that no one has come out in this manner to show interest and our party should not wait or beg anyone to fly its flag,”
“Do we now say that if no one comes out from the North, the party won’t have a candidate?”
He also justified his declaration despite the zoning arguing that in 1999 and 2003, late Abubakar Rimi and Barnabas Gemade respectively vied for the president under the party even though it was zoned to the south. It is however fact that Rimi’s ambition was dropped after the then party Secretary Okwesilieze Nwodo rejected his cheque to buy the form and attempt by him to campaign at the PDP Convention is Jos was stopped by the party.
Speaking at the Leaders meeting in Abuja, former Minister of Information, Jerry Gana said Fayose’s ambition should be dismissed.
“Whatever the “Fayoses” of this world may be doing, the party has resolved that the presidential candidate will come from one of the three zones in the North.”
Former Acting National Chairman of the party, Dr. Bello Haliru, who also acted as the party’s Board of Trustees Chairman, also said zoning and rotation of offices had always been the party’s principle and should be respected.
“Zoning and rotation are part of the PDP Constitution. We must adhere to them if we are to keep this party alive.
“There are people who are bent on contesting whether the office is zoned to their place or not. We must discuss with the South so that anybody who goes against zoning can be punished.
“We cannot afford to have people come to the convention and make a fool of themselves and ridicule the party.”
The Chairman of the PDP’s National Caretaker Committee, Senator Ahmed Markarfi also said the party’s decision on a Presidential candidate from the North is unchanged.
Fasoye opposed the view of the Chairman when he said on live TV programme that zoning is not the constitution of the party but just an agreement.
“These days, nobody has the right to zone any office to a particular geopolitical zone. Zoning is not in the constitution, Zoning is just a gentleman’s agreement that leadership should be rotational.
“If President Jonathan had allowed somebody in the North to contest for presidency under the PDP, President Buhari would not have had a field day in the North. Zoning is just common sense and morally right but it is not in the constitution of the party or the constitution of Nigeria.” He said.
Former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, also expressed his disapproval on zoning adding that his constitutional right cannot be zoned.
The two-time Governor, who appeared as a guest on Channels Television said he never subjected himself to zoning even when he ran for Governor in Cross River.
“Besides it’s my constitutional right to run, you can’t zone my right, I think it’s unconstitutional to zone.
“Like I said to you I was born a Nigerian, I wasn’t born an Easterner or Westerner, I was born after Independence. So my outlook is Nigerian.
“I think we have a constitution, whatever arrangement you make must be subject to that constitution”.
The South-East PDP equal support zoning of the Presidential candidate to the North, despite some quarters raising concerns over marginalization.
