Abuja, NIGERIA – The decision by the Peoples Democratic Party leadership of Iyiorchia Ayu to jettison PDP’s constitutional provisions on power rotation between the North and South was responsible for the internal wrangling within the party, the former Governor of Enugu state, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani has said.
Nnamani, the former Governor of Enugu state, said the party’s lack of respect for its rules was responsible for his decision to support the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.
Senator Nnamani represents Enugu East in the Senate, explained that the PDP constitution prescribes that key political offices be rotated between the North and the South to ensure equity, justice, and fairness but lamented that in the buildups party primary election for the 2023 general election, some party leaders twisted the constitution to allow a Northern Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to emerge it’s presidential candidate, contrary to the provisions of the party’s constitution.
Senator Nnamani was among several party members who were suspended by the National Working Committee of the PDP last week for anti-party activities
In a statement he signed and issued in Abuja, on Sunday, Nnamani said, “Conscious of the need to share and rotate key political offices among the diverse people of our country, the PDP constitution clearly stated that it shall adhere at all times to the policy of the rotation and zoning of the party and public elective offices in pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness.
“Even when the PDP national Chairman Iyorchia Ayu made a firm commitment to step down should a Northerner emerge as Presidential candidate for 2023 election, the leadership jettisoned the constitutional provision and turned the logic upside down.
“Recall that the PDP in 2019 allowed the North to contest the primaries for the presidency in Port Harcourt, Rivers state in which Atiku Abubakar clinched the ticket and contested the election.
“It was expected that in 2023, the PDP in a corresponding manner allows the South to contest for the plum position, but the party in its decision open the contest for both the Northern and Southern aspirants.
“In a twist of events and political maneuvering, Atiku Abubakar got the ticket again.
“The outcome of the presidential primaries infuriated southern PDP faithful including the G-5 Governors who insist on respecting the North/ South rotation principle .“
Senator Nnamani further said the action of the PDP amounted to injustice and lack of equity maintaining that “it is morally wrong to leave power in the north after President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023.“
The former Governor equally noted that President Buhari in recognition of the North/South power rotation created a window for political balancing that enabled Ahmed Bola Tinubu to emerge as presidential candidate.
He said “ having critically examined the situation, I found Ahmed Bola Tinubu as the preferred candidate from the south to foot the bill in 2023”.
The federal lawmaker stressed the need for political harmony in a manner that gives all parts of Nigeria a sense of belonging.
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