2023: Presidency must return to S’South – Obaseki

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has asked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the South-South.

Speaking at the weekend in Benin, during a reception in honour of Chief Dan Orbih, who was recently elected National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the PDP, Obaseki said for equity to prevail, the South-South region should be allowed to produce the next president.

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The South-South produced President Goodluck Jonathan who took over the mantle of leadership in 2010, after President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s death.

Jonathan later contested in 2011 and won and administered the affairs of the country until the 2015 elections when he lost to then opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

But Obaseki said, the “Presidency must come back to South-South and you (Orbih) must go round the country to let them know that we can’t be cheated. We expect you to deliver the presidency to the zone.”

But, the Kaduna State chairman of a group under the auspices of Bala Mohammed Vanguard (BAM-V), Comrade Musa Haruna, has asked the PDP to zone its ticket to the North-East, saying it is the turn of the region to field a presidential candidate.

He said this at the weekend while inaugurating executive members of the group across the 23 local government areas of the state.

He said the North-East deserves the presidential slot because “it’s the least developed zone in the country.”

He said: ”With the current insecurity and other challenges facing the country and especially the North-East, we need a detribalized leader from the North-East with a track record of service, commitment, and readiness to serve the people.”

In his remarks, the director-general of the group, Muhammad Abubakar Jibbo, said they had already consulted some key stakeholders within the party to encourage the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, to contest the presidency.