The Guardian (Nigeria)

Concede VP slot to Southwest, George urges Southeast

- By Seye Olumide

FDeputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olabode, has pleaded with the party’s stakeholde­rs in the Southeast region to concede the position of running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the party’s standard-bearer, to Southwest.

George, who made the appeal yesterday in a phone discussion with

said it was imperative of the Southeast zone to concede the running mate slot to Southwest now on the grounds that in the event that Atiku wins the presidenti­al election next year and takes eight years in office, whenever the pendulum shifts back to the South “the presidenti­al slot would automatica­lly go to Southeast.

“But if the region decides to take the vice president slot now, it would be awkward for it to say after spending eight years as running mate that it would go ahead to produce a president.

“Such calculatio­n will not work, because a region cannot produce the vice president and president for 16 years running.” George therefore appealed to the stakeholde­rs in the Southeast to consider the future and on the benefit of doubt that the party would trash the ruling All Progressiv­es Congress in the next general election, Igbo people should allow the Yoruba produce Atiku’s running mate.

The former deputy national chairman said: “Putting into considerat­ion the importance of numbers in the coming election and the need to defeat APC, Southwest stand a better advantage in terms of registered number of voters.

 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Members of Coalition of Disability Organisati­ons protesting against non-passage of National Disability Bill at the entrance of National Assembly, Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: LUCY LADIDI ELUKPO
Members of Coalition of Disability Organisati­ons protesting against non-passage of National Disability Bill at the entrance of National Assembly, Abuja…yesterday. PHOTO: LUCY LADIDI ELUKPO

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria