2023 presidency: Ebonyi lawmakers want PDP ticket zoned to South-east, issue ultimatum
The 24 members of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, yesterday, issued a 7-day ultimatum to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the South-east geopolitical zone.
This is coming ahead of reported planned defection of the Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi, from PDP to APC.
The lawmakers insisted that their request for presidential ticket was the yearning of the people of the region.
The Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Francis Nwaifuru, who stated this during a press conference in Abakaliki, argued that the region has many qualified personalities for the presidency. Twenty out of the 24-member PDP dominated parliament attended the media briefing.
“We convened this meeting to mandate the national leadership of the PDP to zone its 2023 general election presidential ticket to the South-east zone or face dire consequences.
“At the expiration of the sevenday ultimatum and the PDP national executive committee does not heed our demands, there are several options to explore other than defection,” he said.
He explained that the zone had since the inception of the present democracy in 1999 voted massively in favour of the PDP.
"It is on record that since the inception of democracy in this country, from 1999 till date, the five (5) states of the South
East have always delivered the presidential candidates of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), 100 per cent.
"It is only appropriate in the spirit of democracy, equity, justice and fairness that the position of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023, be zoned to the South East.”
He said the report linking Governor David Umahi with defection to APC had nothing to do with the house members, as they were all elected under the PDP and remained grateful to the party.
“The governor has the right to join any party so also I as the speaker and other house members, so we are not bothered about such talks now,” he said.