By Frank Momoh
The former National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Mark Jacob, has said the party has not zoned its presidential ticket to the Northern part of the country.
Jacob, who is also a former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in Kaduna state, disclosed this when he appeared on a TV programme monitored in Abuja, on Monday.
“Nobody has discussed anything on zoning in our party. We have not zoned out party’s presidential ticket to the North. In fact, the feeling among members is that it should be zoned to the Southern part of the country.”, he said.
According to him, every member of the party though has the right to their opinion, the party would not take unpopular opinion from any of its members.
Jacob, also spoke against the background of a national newspaper’s insinuation making the rounds that the party will pick its presidential candidate for the 2023 elections from the northern part of the country.
Recall that at its 92nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the weekend, the party had announced that it will arrive at a zoning formula for NWC at a meeting billed for September 9.
This is coming even as struggle for the soul of the party among political gladiators hots up ahead of the party’s national convention slated for October 30 and 31.
Also speaking with journalists in Abuja yesterday, Adetayo Balogun, a political commentator warned on the alleged plan of zoning its presidential ticket to any zone not to talk of the North, adding: PDP shouldn’t make the mistake of giving the ticket to the North.
“In searching for the next President, there’s a debated preference for a Southerner to emerge; however, a section of the populace and those in the political space have clamoured for a united approach to the determination of the next President”, he said.
On his part, Katch Ononuju, the Director-General of the Heritage Centre, in an interview, said many Nigerians would prefer to see a Southerner become President, as the current administration has shown a nepotistic obsession with the North, which may affect the chances of any Presidential candidate from the region.