Insists on Southern presidency or nothing
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, former Governor of Ekiti State and a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, Ayodele Fayose, has moved against the party, insisting that the next president must come from the South.
The Point had, a few days ago, exclusively reported that the spat between Fayose and another chieftain of the party, Tom IKimi, was a major reflection of the uneasy calm within the party.
Fayose, it would seem, has now parted ways with the PDP on the issue of which zone should produce the president in 2023 even though former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, had emerged as the party’s flag bearer.
Fayose in a post on his verified Twitter handle @GovAyoFayose on Wednesday, argued that since President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner, will be completing eight years in 2023, it is only logical for power to return to the South.
He wrote, “The current President of Nigeria is a 2-term Northern Presidency, thus implying that it MUST be a Southern Presidency in 2023 or NOTHING.”
Fayose added, “Awa ‘South’ lo kan’. Nigerians should await details soon.”
He further argued that “The PDP Constitution provides for a rotational Presidency. Section 3(c) provides that the party shall pursue its aims & objectives by “adhering to the policy of the rotation & zoning of Party & Public elective offices in pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness.”
It is no longer news that there has been an uneasy calm in the party since the presidential primary that produced Atiku followed by the announcement of Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the vice-presidential candidate of the party for the 2023 electoral contest.
What Fayose’s decision implied is that he has withdrawn his support for the candidacy of Atiku Abubakar.
At the time of filing this report, there was speculation, which though could not be independently verified, that he would be heading for the ruling All Progressives Congress where the former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had already emerged as its flag bearer. The “Awa lokan” reference has been known to be Tinubu’s signature tune.
Fayose, it would be recalled, supported Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who came second during the PDP presidential primary. Last week, he paid him a solidarity visit in Port Harcourt.
The Point had reported last week that the spat between Fayose and Ikimi was “an eloquent pointer to the soft underbelly of the party which must be quickly dealt with or it might be too late.”
