By Favour Goodness
North Central Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Rebirth Forum (NCPDPRF) has opposed the candidature of former Senate president, Dr Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s national chairman.
The group’s convener, Engr Mohammed Idah, at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, claimed that the choice of Ayu was part of the plot by some politicians in the PDP to deny the North Central the presidency in 2023.
Idah called on the party’s stakeholders to lobby other zones to support the North Central to produce the next president since the PDP has decided to leave the presidential ticket open for all zones to compete for the exalted seat.
Justifying the position, the group said, “The North Central has produced several PDP national chairmen. For the avoidance of doubt, the pioneer PDP chairman was Chief Solomon Lar from Plateau State, Engr Barnabas Gemade and Chief Audu Ogbe, were all PDP chairmen from Benue state.
“Ahmadu Ali from Kogi state, Alhaji Kawu Baraje from Kwara state also became chairman of our party without any benefit to the North Central. We totally reject the move to stop the North Central from aspiring for the country’s presidency in 2023 using any guise. Not even the position of the national chairman of PDP,” he said.
Idah contended that the PDP needs a national chairman who is without stain and will not have distractions to lead it to victory in the next election.
“…From the foregoing, we reject the candidature of Dr Iyorchia Ayu and the decision to zone the PDP national chairman to the North Central zone, “ he said.
The forum urged Nigerians to support the North Central to produce the president of Nigeria in 2023.