Olabode George, a former deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, remarked that the party had nothing to do in the South-West to oppose Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC’s presidential candidate if the South-West is not given a national position in the party’s structure.
George, who made this claim on Friday, September16, 2022 while speaking on The Morning Show on Arise TV, hinted to the challenge PDP will face in running a campaign against the presidential candidate of the APC.
But how can I persuade the people on a campaign in the South West that we are prepared and that they should support our candidate? We must be aware that the opposition party has a presidential candidate from the South-West, and Tinubu would inform the electorate that he is on the presidential ticket, what does the PDP have on its ticket for South-West?
“Let’s assume the south has the presidential ticket, vice presidential ticket and chairmanship position, how will our PDP brothers from the north take it? Will they be happy? All I am saying is to ensure justice and fairness and if they say they don’t want it, history will be on the side of the truth.
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“And if at this age I can’t tell the truth, then what am I doing in politics? It is not a matter of forcing Ayu out. Remember, Ayu himself stated and I quote him: “If the presidential candidate emerges from the north, he will resign as the chairman of the party to allow the balancing”. We are simply just saying “let us be mindful and don’t let us overdrive this,” he said.
Following his support for Iyorchia Ayu‘s resignation as the party’s national chairman, George is now worried. He claimed that in order to maintain party balance, Ayu’s resignation became necessary.
He also claimed that Ayu’s resignation will support PDP’s case for being the appropriate candidate for Nigerians to support in the upcoming election.
The PDP chairman had vowed to step down from his position if a northerner won the party’s nomination for president, he claimed, adding that the calls for Ayu’s resignation were in accordance with the constitution.
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“Those saying they don’t believe in it (zoning) and don’t want it are saying that because they don’t understand what brought about it but I am talking because I was part of the system from the very beginning and we have a saying from my part of the world that when you have old people in any association, they (old people) always make sure they correct the mistakes of the young ones and I am trying to refer us to that concept (zoning) that was established and brought about sanity to the nation.
“Now that we are trying to manoeuvre the concept that came from us to suit certain purposes and personal ambitions, it is going to drive us to the canvass and that is what I am saying.
“We are not asking Ayu that he should be zoned out or forced to resign. We are asking for this in the sense of oneness and inclusivity for him to throw in the towel and let us balance the top positions. We are going to campaign in my zone and we want our party to win. If it is not going to affect the party, I won’t bother,” he said.
