There was no Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo State when governors of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-South geopolitical zone met at the party’s zonal leadership summit in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State to demand its presidential ticket ahead of 2023.
The leadership summit, attended by governors, federal lawmakers, former governors and other stakeholders, demanded that the zone should be handed the ticket “in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice.”
The leaders in a communique issued at the end of the summit, with the theme: “Engendering a Southsouth agenda for 2023 and beyond,” read by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, said: “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.”
Addressing the meeting earlier, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike asked the PDP to treat the South-South geopolitical zone with fairness, justice and equity.
The governor said having consistently voted for the PDP since 1999, the party should not ignore the South-South’s contributions to its success.
Wike added: “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 charged his colleagues, National Assembly members and other stakeholders from the zone to set aside their differences in the overall interest of the PDP.
“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,” he said.
The governor said PDP had realised its past mistakes, and would not take Nigerians for granted when given another opportunity.
Wike said the Federal Government’s declaration that it had deleted Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act smacked of corruption.
At the meeting were Governors Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta) and Douye Diri (Bayelsa), but Obaseki who recently had a spat with Wike was noticeably absent.
Other dignitaries in attendance included PDP National Vice Chairman (Southsouth), Chief Dan Orbih; Senator George Sekibo; former Deputy House of Reps Speaker, Austin Opara; former governors Liyel Imoke (Cross River) and Celestine Omehia (Rivers).