The northwest youth wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has frowned at the southern governors for insisting Nigeria’s president must come from the south.
It totally condemned in strong terms the party’s decision on zoning the chairmanship of the party to the north.
The PDP youths explained that the north is yet to complete its term of the presidency under PDP, explaining that former President Goodluck Jonathan completed late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s tenure and went ahead to run his own first term at the expense of the north.
Ibrahim Ahmadu, Coordinator of the PDP National Youth Wing, northwest zone, in a statement in Kaduna noted that the north must complete its outstanding terms of office, vowing to resist anything less in 2023.
According to the statement, “The recent meeting held by Southern governors and the demand that the next President should come from the South would be met with stiff resistance and vehemently rejected.”
The youths insisted that democracy is about equal representation with concerns for equity, justice, and fairness.
The statement said after 13 years of reign in the presidency, southerners are still demanding for presidential ticket come 2023?
It explained that southerners have enjoyed 13 out of the 16 years of PDP rule in Nigeria, saying that former President Olusegun Obasanjo ruled for two terms of office (8 years), former President Goodluck Jonathan ruled for a term of four years and completed late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s remaining one year in office (5 years).
The youths noted that the constitution of the PDP stipulates two terms for any political office holder, pointing out that late Yar’Adua only spent three years before his death in office.
The PDP youth wing explained that it would work and mobilize party members across the north to stop the passage of resolutions at the national convention scheduled for October 30th and 31st in Abuja.
The youths said they are battle-ready to fight what they called “this injustice and insensitive decision” and resolutions in the interest of progress and justice.
The statement said the PDP is known for grassroots governance and fair democratic decision, saying that they are willing to maintain the positions ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The statement called on all party members to rise up and say no to zoning the presidency to the south again, stressing that northerners, in particular, should come together and speak with one voice to ensure justice is done.
