It is unjust that both the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate and national chairman are from the nation’s north.
Walid Jibrin, the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), expressed this opinion when appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
Jibrin argued that it is not ideal that both the PDP’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, come from the northern part of the nation.
The PDP leader, who didn’t mind resigning from his position to mend the party’s division, also declared that the main opposition will keep the presidency the following year.
The PDP experienced a crisis following Atiku’s victory in the party’s presidential primary, which led to Sunday’s remarks.
“To tell the truth, it will not be fair for the president of Nigeria to be from the north, the chairman of the party from the north, and the BoT chairman from the north,” he noted during the show.
“By next week, we will get the report. And when we find out that somebody is wrong in what has happened we will come up openly to tell the party that it is wrong. Whatever we can do, we will do it in the interest of the party to make the party remain as PDP.”
In a hotly contested race to secure the ticket, the former vice president defeated Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike. This victory sparked a new wave of internal party strife.
The Rivers leader was among those who suggested Wike as Atiku’s running mate, notwithstanding Wike’s post-election claims that he was tricked and accusations that the PDP violated the party’s laws during the election.
However, the former vice president chose Governor Ifeanyi Okowa instead, stating that the decision was made because the governor of Delta State possesses “all or most of the attributes” he seeks.
After making the remark, Wike charged Atiku with telling “many lies.” The two have not yet been able to get along, despite efforts.
