Some presidential aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party from the South-East Zone have solicited the support of other zones to ensure that the party’s ticket is zoned to the South-East.
The aspirants, Peter Obi, Sam Ohuabunwa, Anyim Pius Anyim and Dr Nwachukwu Anakwenze, made the call while speaking with newsmen after their meeting in Abuja on Saturday.
Anyim, who spoke on behalf of the aspirants, said they were working together to ensure that a South-Easterner emerged as the candidate of the PDP.
He said, “However, it is our knowledge that more aspirants may have obtained forms under the PDP. We hope they will join us a little later. So, in the interim, four of us are presidential aspirants on the platform of our great party, the PDP; we met this morning and resolved as follows:
“We have agreed to work together as a team, to ensure that a South-Easterner emerges as the PDP candidate for the 2023 presidential election.
“We intend to consult with other zones on this issue and it is based on fairness and equity. In doing so, it is important to note that we have always supported other zones and we now expect them to reciprocate.”
He said the aspirants took the position in the interest of the party and national unity. “In fact, in line with the PDP constitution, we believe the PDP Constitution favours what we are doing and we have to boldly step out with this decision,” he added.
On the possibility of a consensus candidate being produced from the geopolitical zone, Anyim said they would decide on that at the appropriate time.
“When we get to the bridge we will cross it, but we will work together in the interest of the party, the nation and the South-East.”
Meanwhile, a chieftain of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Richard Ozobu, on Saturday said building alliances with other zones would guarantee the realisation of the region producing the presidency in 2023.
Ozobu told journalists that he had no doubt that the interest of Ndigbo would be guaranteed should the like of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, be given the opportunity to succeed the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in 2023.
He described Amaechi, who declared his intention to contest the presidential election on Saturday, as “a complete Igbo man from Ikwerre in Rivers State”.
The Ohanaeze chieftain, stated that it was wrong to limit the search for a presidential candidate of Igbo extraction in 2023 to the five core Igbo states of Enugu, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo, when the Ohanaeze constitution had recognised Delta and Rivers as part of Igbo states.
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