The Chairman, Board of Trustees of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Walid Jibrin has raised alarm over threats to his life and petitioned the Director General of DSS and Inspector General of Police, following his comments that the party will not zone its presidential ticket come 2023.
Sen. Jibrin recently stated that the party will give room for interested aspirants from all parts of the country to contest for the presidential primaries for the 2023 elections, which elicited various reaction including threats of demonstration against him and harassment.
According to him, “I have received call from some people threatening my life over my coming out not to mention that the presidency of this country be zoned to the Northeast. They were saying that I am a traitor, that I should have come out to say that it is only Atiku Abubakar, that because I said that Atiku was already overthrown by the Supreme Court. They said for that, I should say Atiku is the man.
“That I won’t do because I am a leader. I have to make a lots of consultations, the National Working Committee have to make a lots of consultations, our Governors have to make a lots of consultations, then the NEC had to take decision. And they should not forget the party has a Constitution and a guideline which says that there must be primary for whoever wants to contest.
“We have not even discussed about zoning so why are some people so concerned about the presidential ticket being zoned to a particular zone.
“About three people went to Wadata Plaza and demanded to see the Chief Security Officer, Munir Yerima. When they were there, Yerima rang me asking where am i and I said I’m in Kaduna, then he said some people want to talk to me and I said let me talk to them on phone, he said they are intermediary between me and some party people that they said i have gone astray and if I don’t recant they would hold a major demonstration against me and thew would arrange bandits to deal with me wherever I go.
“So I told the man to go and do whatever he wants to do that I’m equal to the task. Then I realise its not only a major demonstration but they may be planning to assassinate me.
“I have written to the DG DSS and the police IG to ensure that the matter is seriously handled as people can’t stand on their own. I’m an elder statesman in the party and in Northern Nigeria. I’m a Fulani herdsman who have tried to stop the threats of militant Fulani in my local government and in my state.
“I’m a very religious person who cannot even kill a rat or an ant, yet people are trying to harass me, to assassinate me. I want the police to give me protection and stop this harassment. They said the people are from Kano, Sokoto, Adamawa, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi and Jigawa states.
“Its a gang from these Northern states who are planning against me. Let’s see if the security agencies would allow this to happen. I would do all expected of me, I’m not shaken.
“Our party has not finished arrangements towards 2023, all we are doing now is reconciliation to ensure that our party are together, we have concluded arrangements to hold congresses. Soon the NWC would convene a NEC meeting and convention to ratify the arrangements.”
He said as the BOT chairman of the party he is leader of members from every part of the country, wondering that, “If the Igbos ask me about the party’s choice for president in 2023, how do I explain to them? There are people agitating for the Southwest, so we have to bring people together to agree on what people want, so they should leave me alone”.