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From Magnus Eze, Enugu
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been warned against imminent implosion, the type that occurred during ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election bid in 2025, should the party fail to zone its presidential ticket to the South East.
A pan-Igbo socio-political body, Igbo Leadership Development Foundation (ILDF), which stated this urged the party to micro-zone its ticket to the region for the sake of equity, fairness, justice and good conscience.
The Foundation noted that its insistence of the emergence of a Nigeria President of Southeast extraction in next year’s general elections is because it is the only geopolitical zone in Southern Nigeria that has not produced a President for the country in the present democratic dispensation, and indeed since the end of the civil war in 1970.
Addressing journalists in Enugu on Sunday, the ILDF stated that a President of Nigeria from South East would heal permanently the wounds of the civil war.
In a memo addressed to the 37-member PDP zoning committee, by the Chairman of ILDF, Dr. Godwin Udibe, National Secretary, Onyebuchi Obeta and Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Law Mefor, the group noted that the articles of the party’s constitution and the federal character principle, were in support of rotation and zoning of the Presidency.
“Those who fail to learn from history are said to be condemned to repeat class. There will be consequences. Southeast would very likely vote against the PDP in protest if denied the presidential ticket of the party. This is not an idle threat. Southeast is a PDP zone and should be treated respectfully.
“As a matter of justice and equity, we expect that PDP leaders in other geopolitical zones should all support that the 2023 PDP presidential candidacy should be directly zoned to the Southeast as a matter of justice and good faith, in order to preserve the unity and integrity of the PDP. We request the 37 members of the PDP Special Committee on Zoning to find the courage to recommend that the presidency be zoned to the Southeast zone.
“Such party leaders surreptitiously pushing for the jettisoning of zoning and rotation of Presidential seat when their zones have filled the office based on the same principle, are promoting injustice in an unhealthy and ungentlemanly equivocation, which gives the impression that the South-East does not matter or have any valid stake in the PDP or in Nigeria.
“ILDF does not need to warn that there will be consequence if our efforts at promoting peace and unity in Nigeria through dialogue are sabotaged. This is not a threat but a natural response from an injured zone that has shown the greatest commitment and fidelity to the PDP as political party since its inception,” the group stated.
