2023: Obaseki missing as South-south governors demand presidential ticket

South-South Governors and lawmakers elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have insisted that the 2023 presidential ticket of the party be zoned to the south.

The governors argued that “in the spirit of fairness, equity, and justice,” their region deserves to produce the next president.

The governors made the demand at a summit in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, on Monday, March 21, 2022.

The South-south political leaders maintained that the PDP might lose the opportunity to retake power if it failed to zone its presidential ticket to the south.

In the communique of the summit titled “Engendering a South-south agenda for 2023 and beyond,” the political leaders reiterated that “The zone is fully in support of the position of the Southern Governor’s forum that the next President of Nigeria must come from the Southern part of Nigeria.”

Speaking at the summit, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State asked the PDP to treat the South-south geo-political zone with fairness, justice and equity.

He said the PDP should not ignore South-south’s contributions to its success because the region has been voting for the party since 1999. 

He said: “The South-south is the pillar of the PDP. If the South-south is the pillar of the PDP, they must be treated with fairness, justice and equity.

“It is not only when it comes to work, it is not only when it comes to giving votes that we will all remember that the South-south is the pillar. When it also comes in terms of sharing, they should remember that this is the pillar of the party.”

Wike also urged stakeholders in the party to work together to take power from the ruling All Progressives Congress.

“We have all said that Nigerians are waiting for PDP to take over in 2023. That is true. But we cannot take over if we are not united. We cannot take over if don’t work together.

“It is for us to put our house together and make Nigerians proud because if we don’t take over in 2023, Nigerians will never forgive PDP. We must take this opportunity and make Nigerians happy,” the governor said.

All the PDP governors in the south-south attended the summit except Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, who is currently at loggerheads with Wike. 

You’ll recall that Wike and Obaseki recently blasted each other over the former’s verbal attacks on Philip Shuaibu, the Deputy Governor of Edo State.