Anthony Iwuoma
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has rejected the report of Governor Samuel Ortom’s PDP Zoning Committee, which reportedly threw its Presidential ticket open for all in the forthcoming election, describing it as awful.
PANDEF reiterated its position that the next president after President Muhamadu Buhari must come from the Southern part of the the country.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Ken Robinson, PANDEF said the decision to throw the party’s ticket open was awful and would result in dire consequences.
READ ALSO: http://Senate passes bill to enable FG takeover optometric hospital in Kogi
It insisted that the next president of Nigeria should come from the South, for the sake of fairness and equity, adding that doing the contrary would be detrimental to the continued peace and unity of the country.
The statement read in part: “For fairness, equity, justice and in the nation’s interest, the next President of Nigeria, to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023, should come from the south.
“Anything otherwise would be detrimental to national peace and cohesion. The basis of any viable democracy, especially in a diverse and complex country such as Nigeria, is fair and even sharing of power.
“It is an awful decision and there will be consequences. But we are not utterly surprised at the development. The outcome was predictable, there were evident pointers that this would be the conclusion.
“Governor Ortom’s Committee had a script and they have played it out, with due deference to some patriots that were in the committee.
READ ALSO: http://Senate urges Buhari to name NDDC permanent building after Harold Dappa Biriye
“The level of desperation and political debauchery being demonstrated by some political stakeholders is deplorable and quite disappointing. Regrettably, we are in a society where it seems anything goes.”
The Forum urged Southern and Middle Belt leaders to reject any political party that does not field a southern presidential candidate.
