A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George has said that he will not vote for the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 general elections unless the party picks its national chairman from the Southern region of the country.
George, who stated this on Tuesday morning while featuring on Arise TV Morning Show programme, said for almost 25 years, the leadership of the party has been in the hands of Northerners.
According to him, the situation does not give Southerners in the party a sense of belonging.
Speaking on the possibility of the party resolving its internal crisis before the 2023 elections, George who is among the party stakeholders calling for the resignation of its national chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, said that reconciliation would be possible if the party’s hierarchy “gives unto Caesar what belongs to Caesar.”
Ayu is from the North-Central while the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku is from the North-East. Some stakeholders in the party including five governors and George have said it is unfair for northerners to hold both positions. They have called for the resignation of Ayu, and his replacement with a southerner for the ‘sake of fairness’.
He said, “It is not a solution that cannot be handled. All we are saying is give what belongs to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Give us what belongs to us. Turn by Turn Nigeria Limited. Take for example, what I am angry about is this: the first chairman was the late Papa Solomon from North-Central.
“The second chairman, North-Central. The third chairman, Audu Ogbe, North-Central. The fourth chairman, my ‘oga’, Dr Ahmadu Ali, North-Central; (Kawu) Baraje, from Kwara, was also North-Central. Now you have Ayu, also North-Central.
“The South-West has never enjoyed this position since the party started almost 25 years ago. What is our crime? If you are telling us you want to rule this country, you have to weave all the tribes and all the people together. That is the major problem, and unless that is resolved, I will not vote for our own candidate.”
