The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday, dismissed notions that it had zoned its 2023 presidential ticket to the North, in a bid to calm the nerves of agitated members across the nation.
The party renounced the Friday statement credited to the immediate past governor of Niger State, Alhaji Babangida Aliyu, that the North would produce the PDP flag bearer in the election.
Despite the PDP disclaimer, there are still skepticisms as to which geopolitical zones of the country would get the ticket.
Recall that the party had earlier indicated that the ticket would be thrown open for aspirants from all parts of the country to contest.
Checkout Magazine also gathered that the ranks of the governors elected on the platform of the PDP may have been seriously divided following allegations and counter-allegations over alleged moves to force the new leadership of the party to endorse the zoning of the presidential ticket to the north as part of the strategy to win the next presidential election.
Party sources said consultations and horse-trading on the ticket were increasing by the day.
A PDP senator from the Southeast told reporters that during the yuletide break, they had cause to confront PDP governors in the Northern zone over indications that the party might zone its presidential ticket to the north.
The lawmaker said the issue was generating concerns across the zone.
“During the Christmas break, following widespread indications that our party may be preparing to endorse the zoning of the presidential ticket to the north on the assumption that only a northern candidate can defeat the APC in 2023, I and some other chieftains from Igboland met with some of our governors to seek their opinion on the matter,” he said.
“It may interest you to know that majority of them claimed ignorance of the development and recalled that the PDP decides to leave the contest for the ticket open for all comers.
“But they promised to investigate the rumor and ensure nothing of such happens. All through the festive period, we were consulting and holding meetings on the worrisome development.”
