The Peoples Democratic Party has issued a go-ahead for the North to produce its flag bearer for the 2023 presidential election.
This is despite the party zoning its National Chairman to the region, leading to the emergence of Senator Iyorchia Ayu as a consensus candidate for the position.
The new development was disclosed by a former Alhaji Kawu Baraje, a former acting National Chairman of the PDP, PUNCH reports.
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Ayu, who is a former Senate President and from the North-Central, emerged consensus candidate ahead of a former governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema, and Senator Abdul Ningi, who is from the North-East.
The PDP has traditionally zoned its chairmanship and presidential seats to the different zones in the country. However, the norm looks to be broken as the party has refused to zone its presidential ticket to a particular zone despite zoning the chairmanship.
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Recall that Baraje had in a statement on Wednesday declared the North-Central needed the Presidency and not the national chairmanship of the PDP, citing past occupants of the position from the region in the past.
Baraje insisted that even if the North Central gets the chairmanship, the zone should still be allowed to contest the presidency.
Quizzed on whether this concern was raised prior to the emergence of Ayu as a consensus candidate, Baraje said, “It was one of the provisos when we settled for Ayu. It (concern) was very much addressed and we are satisfied.
“The party too agreed with us. Not only did we agree that the fact that the party chairman is coming from the North-Central does not stop the zone from contesting the presidential ticket This was put in black and white as an agreement.”
“Ayu is capable of leading the party to victory. He has been a Senate President. He has been a minister. He is a founding father of the party. He knows who to contact and knows that running a party is about inclusiveness. He is coming on board with all these experiences.”
With the agreement, the PDP presidential ticket has been thrown open for the North and the South.
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