From: Godwin Tsa, Abuja
Elder statesman and Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark has warned Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose not to create crisis in the Pepoles Democratic Party (PDP) with his declaration, to contest for the party’s 2019 presidential ticket.
Clark described Fayose’s Abuja declaration as “a huge joke.”
He noted that although Fayose is “a vibrant young man and a very good politician,” the governor had no reason to declare for the presidency as the PDP has zoned the position to the North.
He rather advised Fayose to contest for the position of the party’s national chairman that has been zoned to the South West.
Clark told Daily Sun that that although he is no longer an active partisan politician, his interest is with Nigeria and that he will speak out whenever any politician does anything that could throw the nation into crisis regardles of the party affiliation.
“I am now 90 years and no longer an active partisan politician, but, my interest lies with Nigeria. So any political party, whether PDP or APC that has done something, that will affect Nigeria, I will speak about it.
“Now, I think Fayose is a very good young man, very vibrant, active and articulate and good politician, but, that is not enough. The PDP, to which he belongs, in May, at the Rivers, Port Harcourt convention, zoned the position of presidency to the North and that of the national chairman to the South.
“Governor Fayose is the leader of the PDP Governor’s Forum and an important leader of the party who should not only know the laws and regulations of the party’s constitution, but should obey them.
“Fayose, therefore, has no reason to declare that he wants to be president of Nigeria, a position which has already been zoned to the North.
“If he wants to be national chairman of the party, he is qualified and should vie for it.
“The PDP has been going through crisis over the years, since it lost election and now that the Supreme Court has brought the party back, nobody should take the party back into crisis.
“The supreme court has now brought the party back and no amount of rascality, or amount of position should be used to destroy the party. The PDP will have its elective convention in December and, if Fayose wants to become Chairman of the party, he should declare himself for that.
“Perhaps, he is just joking about the presidential declaration, but, he made a point which perhaps, he is using his declaration to whip up northerners who are still keeping quiet.
“We have less than one year and none of them have come out to openly say, I want to be president of Nigeria…”
“So perhaps, Fayose’s declaration is meant to remind them that if you don’t want it, other people will take it, that might be his reason.”