Zoning: PDP Targeting Buhari’s Northern Votes For 2023 Presidency – Okechukwu
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is unwilling to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the south because it wants a northern candidate that can secure votes from the region.
Okechukwu, who is the Director-General (DG) of Voice of Nigeria (VON) stated that the PDP wants to mop up the northern votes that usually come for President Muhammadu Buhari knowing fully well that he won’t be on the ballot for the 2023 election. He however added that the act which he described as desperate on the part of the PDP may cost the southern zone the 2023 presidency and should that happen, Nigerians should blame the PDP squarely. He said the PDP is desperate to return to power so they can once again have the opportunity to loot the country’s national treasury. The APC chieftain said his party is closely monitoring the antics of the PDP as regards adhering to zoning in 2023, saying the ruling party is not under any pressure, however. According to him, he supports the zoning of the 2023 presidency to the south and believes the APC can still win without presenting a northern candidate. “Although one isn’t holding the brief for our distinguished national Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, one’s little understanding is that the leadership of our great party, is watching closely the desperation and antics of our elder sister political party, the PDP,” he told reporters in Abuja. “They want to capture power, by all means, indeed using Machiavellian tactics. We all know that PDP is famished, thirsty and desperate to win the Presidency in 2023. They loathe the loss of their slogan ‘Share the Money’ through their absence from power at the centre for seven going to eight years. “PDP is aware that President Buhari will not be on the ballot in 2023, therefore, for them, there is a void to fill. They must have reasoned that the Buhari’s Vote Bank would be up for grabs if they go north. “To be frank, my take on the matter is that the swap option is still open because some of us from the South are still arguing that we have dormant votes, especially Igbo votes which will augment APC members’ votes from the north. “However, if at the end of the day the zoning fails, we should blame PDP’s desperation, because we’ve been advocating a repeat of the Chiefs Obasanjo/Falae; Yaradua/Buhari and Buhari/Atiku models of 1999, 2007 and 2019 models.”
This article was originally published on Nigeria News