Makinde, Fadahunsi urge peace as party reiterates support for restructuring
The South-West leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday insisted that the next President must come from the South notwithstanding that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has obtained the presidential nomination form and he is a front-runner in the party.
The leaders stated this after a closed-door meeting of the extended zonal caucus of the South-West Zone held at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Present at the meeting were Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde; Chief Bode George, Ayodele Fayose, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, PDP Zonal Financial Secretary, Rahman Owokoniran; Deputy National Chairman (South), Taofeeq Arapaja, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, Prof. Olusola Eleka, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Diran Odeyemi, Sikiru Ogundele and others.
National Vice Chairman (West) of the party, Soji Adagunodo, who read the communiqué, said the region was throwing its weight behind the Southern Governors’ stance on 2023 presidency.
The communique read: “We the PDP in the South-West believe in the corporate existence and unity of Nigeria.
“The unity of South-West is a non-negotiable issue. To this end, we demand that all dispute resolution mechanisms should be on the front-burner.
“The South-West is also in support of the Southern Governors’ Forum that the next president of Nigeria should be from the South.
“The South-West Zone also commended the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, for his infrastructural development in the zone.
“The zone has agreed that we should do everything legally and morally possible to deliver Osun and Ekiti states to the party in their forthcoming governorship elections.
“The zone is desirous of fairness, justice and equity in the distribution of federal positions and appointments and will support all efforts geared towards national cohesion through equitable distribution of federal positions and appointments among the geo-political zones of Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the zone has re-affirmed its position on restructuring of Nigeria.
On their part, Makinde and Fadahunsi urged unity among the stakeholders.
