The People`s Democratic Party, PDP on the 28th of May by its own choice at its convention at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja became a pariah to committee of rational human beings and must be treated as such by Nigerians of all region and societal strata.
This is the growing call from many sections of the country where the choice of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has not gone down well following the PDP convention last Saturday.
They believe that against all expectations, the largest opposition party, which was hitherto looked upon to rescue Nigeria has failed already, even before the election.
PDP they say was trusted to save Nigeria from the shackles operation and menace of disintegration and anarchy that the All People`s Congress brought on the country, but instead the PDP chose to tow even a more dangerous path.
Those who are calling for the rejection of the PDP and Atiku come 2023, insists that by the party`s choice of presidential candidate to fly the party`s flag in the 2023 presidential election, the PDP have shown how insensitive it has been to the plight of the nation.
It is their conviction that there was no single reason that justifies why an Atiku Abubakar was found worthy of the character and qualities to lead the country after the damage of the regime of his co-Northern Fulani Muslim brother – Muhammadu Buhari has done to the country.
First in this group of stakeholders who oppose an Atiku presidency is the Southern Middle Belt Leaders’ Forum (SMBLF). These includes the states from where Governor Wike drew large chunk of votes to serious challenge the emergence of Atiku, but failed short of outright victory.
The second group that detests and rejects everything about a possible Atiku presidency is the group known as the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF). The PANDEF was very vociferous before the PDP convention, campaigning and arguing for an Igbo presidential candidate from both the PDP and the APC.
The SMBLF and the PADEF represents the two most prominent blocks amongst the growing voices against the candidate of the PDP for the presidential election. The totally reject the emergence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
These groups insists that another Northern presidential candidate from the PDP is a total affront on the people of southern Nigeria.
Their argument is that it will be most unfair for another Northern Muslim to take over the reins of power after President Muhammadu Buhari, who will be spending eight years in power by the end of his term in 2023.
This is seen as the betrayal of the South by the PDP, which by their own convention and practice had a moral duty to zone their presidential ticket to the South, and particularly the South East.
As it stands today, everything about the PDP rests in the North – the party`s top echelon of officers, and now the presidential candidate. The only role the South is playing in the party simply to deliver votes to keep the party in power.
The PDP have guaranteed maximum support, which it has always enjoyed from the South. The South East has voted PDP since 1999, but have benefitted little or nothing from the party.
The People`s Democratic party is still afloat today and in a positon to challenge the All progressive Congress largely because of the massive support the PDP has enjoyed from the South, even after it failed from power in the 2015 election.
In a Trust TV interview after the convention, the PANDEF National Publicity Secretary, Ebenzer Adurokiya, said the following:
“Our position remains the same. This is unfair and these are disturbing times for us in Nigeria.
“But in principle we felt that after eight years under Muhammadu Buhari, it is fair that power should rotate to southern Nigeria based on the principle of zoning that has been established in our political system over the years since 1979. What the PDP has done is an affront on the people of southern Nigeria.”
Further, the pan Igbo and Yoruba social cultural organisations – Ohaneze ndi-Igbo and Afenifere groups have each also condemned the treatment the PDP has melted to the people of the South by their choice of Atiku Abubakar, instead of a candidate from the South East.
For these two prominent pressure groups representing the second and third largest ethnic groups in Nigeria, the PDP have treated with disdain the unity and peace in Nigeria and must therefore be rejected by all Nigerians, especially the Igbos.
They have for this unfortunate development enjoined their politicians in the South never to accept the role of a running mate to Atiku and the PDP, which they conclude will amount to perpetual political slavery.
A statement from an amalgamation of these groups reads in part:
“Sadly, it appears the unity and peace of Nigeria mean little or nothing to a segment of the nation’s political elite. This was evidenced in the PDP special convention, which was held on Saturday, 28th May 2022, where certain candidates from the North were pressured, coerced, and even intimidated to step down for former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who eventually emerged as the flag bearer of PDP in utter derision of the established principle of zoning and rotation of power between the north and south.
“Undoubtedly, the singular motive is to perpetuate the hegemony of the North given that President Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim from the North and of Fulani origin will be completing his full tenure of eight years by this time next year.
“SMBLF, therefore, totally REJECTS the candidacy of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and calls on our people of Southern Nigeria and the Middle Belt as well as all true lovers of peace and unity NOT TO VOTE for him or any other Northerner in the 2023 Presidential election, in the interest of posterity.
“SMBLF further urges all aspirants for the office of President from Southern Nigeria to shun the conceited attitude of individualism and self-confidence, and work collectively to achieve the shared objectives.
“Again, SMBLF calls on all politicians of Southern extraction to refuse the position of a running mate to any Northern Presidential candidate, which will equally be viewed as subjugating their people to political slavery.”
Written by Ken Obi, a Clariform Staff Writer. Ken can be reached on ken.obi@clariform.com.
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