The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), youth wing, says the opposition party stands a chance of returning to power in 2023 if its presidential candidate for next general elections comes from the north.
Consequently, it appealed to leadership of the party to zone the presidency to the North in 2023.
The party’s youths under the auspices of PDP National Youth Movement explained that a public survey carried out revealed that only a northern candidate would help the party win the 2023 elections.
A statement issued by the group’s President, Engr Salahudeen A Lukman, observed that upon the return of democracy in 1999, the South had occupied the exalted seat of the President for 14 years, saying that the North would have spent 10 years on the same seat by the end of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023.
The group explained that the National championship position of the party be zoned to the South, while urging the leadership of the party to ensure practical involvement of youth.
It added that the party should also involve the youths in the party’s politics and governance, as well as involvement of reasonable number of youth in its national convention planning committee and concession of good number of positions at all levels of the party structures to youths.
It noted, “Our independence survey of opinion of electorates both the young and the old at Grassroot have obviously suggested the victory of PDP presidential bid with a Northern candidate. A conclusion arrived at on the premise of the careful study of Nigeria presidency occupants since the return of democracy in 1999 which marked the beginning of 4th democratic republic in the country.”
The group observed that the former Presidents, Chief Olusegun Aremu Obasanjo and His Excellency Dr. GoodLuck Ebele Jonathan being southerners, both occupied Aso rock for eight and six years respectively cumulating to 14 years of southern presidency, stressing that Late President Alh Umar Musa Yar’adua and President Muhammadu Buhari both of northern extraction occupied Aso villa for two years and eight years, still counting respectively, totaling 10 years of northerners in Aso villa.
The group stated that “it therefore means by dint of fairness and political balance of interest between the two regions in the nation polity, the north needs a term of four years to balance the ratio while the performance of the bearer now determines if the region will start the new lap of power swift again or the south take a lead.”
It explained that another content of their survey report showed that PDP landslide victory margin would be ensured once a northerner takes the PDP presidential ticket come 2023.
It added that the region was the most affected by the ugly menace imposed on all citizens by vissionless APC regime under President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that they stand a best chance to proffer ideological solution to rescue the nation from imminent collapse and failure.
“It thereby becomes a point of duty as committed structure of the party that has been working independently to aide the return of PDP to power at center, to make this open call on our party leaders and critical stakeholders, most importantly the BoT, Governor’s Forum and NEC who are to set to determine the zoning of party leadership and presidential ticket to consider the report of our open survey,” the group explained.
