Zoning: Ebonyi PDP issues ultimatum to national leadership

Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday gave the national leadership of the party a one-week ultimatum to zone the 2023 presidential ticket of the party to the southeast.

The party said this in a statement by the State Chairman, Onyekachi Nwebonyi.

Mr. Nwebonyi said this has become imperative since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the date for the elections.

The party also made case for the re-election of Prince Uche Secondus for a second term as National Chairman of the party.

“We, therefore, enjoin the party, in whatever arrangement not to tamper with the seat of the national chairman. Having performed satisfactory well, leading the party to victories, Secondus deserves a second term. That is not negotiable,” Nwebonyi warned.

Mr Nwebonyi said the party should in the interest of justices equity and fairness zone the presidential ticket to the southeast.

He argued that since the inception of the democratic dispensation, PDP has never thrown its presidential ticket open to all zones but rotated the ticket between the south and north.

“It is a crass show of hypocrisy if the PDP denies the Southeast that chance. To that effect, we do vehemently demand that the NEC meeting of the PDP be convened within one week to ratify the issue and zone the presidential ticket to the southeast,” he said.

The Chairman further argued that the southeast has notable personalities who have performed exceedingly well in public service.

“We have the likes of Senator Pius Anyim, Sr Peter Obi, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iwuala, Senator Theodore Orji, Senator Ike Ekweremadu who have accolades that speak volumes,” Nwebonyi said.

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The Chairman said there are other notable capable dignitaries many of who occupy public positions currently who have performed well and can be president of this country.

He said that if the party does otherwise, the Ebonyi State chapter will not accept any other arrangements as that might cause apathy among the teaming supporters of the party in the state.

“The tradition of the party should be maintained, as we cannot allow the legitimate yearning of the southeast people to be swept under the carpet going by the recent pronouncement of the national leadership of the PDP which suggests that the southeast will enjoy the benefits of zoning which other zones have enjoyed,” he added.

The state chapter of the party’s ultimatum comes barely 24 hours after the Ebonyi State House of Assembly issued a similar ultimatum to the party’s national leadership.