The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has finally sounded a death knell on zoning, throwing the contest for its presidential ticket open to all aspirants.
The opposition party also indicated preference for consensus in the choice of its candidates where possible.
In a communique released at the end of the party’s 96th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, the PDP adopted the position of its zoning committee rejecting zoning, agreeing that “in the interest of justice and fair play, the party should take decision on zoning timeously so as to prevent complications to the process.”
The PDP also constituted the Presidential Primary and Special National Convention Committee, with former Senate President, David Mark, as Chairman, Enugu State Governor. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as Deputy Chairman and former Katsina State governor, Ibrahim Shema, as Secretary.
The opposition party reaffirmed May 28 and 29 as dates for its presidential primary.
On the state of the nation, the PDP “strongly decried the worsening insecurity and continued killing of innocent Nigerians by terrorists who are emboldened by the exposed refusal of the APC-led government to confront the terrorists even when it knows their locations, listens to their phone conversations and even aware of their plans.”
It condemned what it called “the failure/refusal of the APC government to rescue our citizens still languishing in their abductors’ dens including a victims of last month’s terrorism attack on the Abuja/Kaduna train. NEC urged the Federal Government to live up to its Constitutional duty to secure life and property and ensure an unconditional release of all the abductees.”
The PDP expressed dismay that the country’s “security command and control coordination structure has collapsed under President Muhammadu Buhari as Mr. President remains ‘absent’ having abdicated his duties as Commander-in-Chief and surrendering sovereignty over a substantial part of our country to terrorists.”
It condemned the “humongous corruption and deliberate economic manipulations in the APC government which have crippled our productive sector and resulted in the unbearable high cost of food items and other essential goods and services with consequential excruciating economic hardship to our citizens.”
The opposition party rejected the “continuing closure of public universities in Nigeria due to the refusal/failure of the APC government to decisively address the lingering industrial action by lecturers in public universities despite the huge resources at its disposal. It cautioned the APC to stop playing with the emotions, destiny and future of our youths and take action to address the industrial action immediately so that our children can go back to their classes.”
The PDP condemned “mass looting of our national treasury and diversion of public funds through orchestrated purchase of APC Presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms by all manner of persons at excessive N100 million to warehouse slush funds for APC to rig the 2023 general elections. We restate our demand to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate all APC Presidential aspirants in this regard.’
It called for the “immediate resignation, arrest and prosecution of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, for alleged manipulations and financial impropriety in the CBN which contributed to the collapse of our national economy,” while vehemently rejecting “the continued stay of Mr. Emefiele as CBN Governor after being confirmed as a card-carrying member of the APC. The CBN is the custodian and keeper of all INEC sensitive materials used in all elections. Having been confirmed as a member of the APC, Mr. Emefiele, can no longer be trusted with INEC sensitive materials which are key to the guarantee of free, fair and credible elections.”
The assures Nigerians that the it was resolute in taking very firm legitimate series of action in the march to restore and protect the sanctity of the Central Bank and electoral process.