Former vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, has said competence should determine who succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speculations over the zone that gets the presidential and national chairmanship ticket of the PDP has dominated had media space.
Reports had emerged stating that the PDP may zone it’s chairmanship ticket to the south and give its presidential ticket to the north.
But speaking on ARISE TV on Monday, Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said whichever zone that gets the chairmanship ticket may not determine where the presidential ticket would go to.
He stated that the opposition must get it right in 2023 or else it would be very bad for Nigeria.
Peter Obi said: “I cannot speak on what the zoning committee is going to do but let me assure you that even in the discussions that we have had in various meetings, I do not see the zoning of the chairmanship as a determinant that the other zone would produce the presidential candidate. Everybody today knows that things are not what they should be in Nigeria and we have to get it right in 2023. If we get it wrong in 2023, it would be very bad for the country, so, we have to get it right.”
He stated that the PDP must look for competence and someone who has capacity in the knowledge of what it means to serve or lead this country.
“We are on the wrong road and we cannot continue this journey on this road. So, if the chairman comes from one zone, it would not stop people from the other zone from contesting,” the former governor said.
“We are dealing with something that can be moved from one zone to the other. I can tell you that 2023 would be totally different because everybody is struggling to make sure that we do not get it wrong. I cannot determine where the zoning would go but we would wait and see, then we would look into it.”
Peter Obi however stated that if the PDP decides to zone to the north, he cannot speak for any state in the South East on how they would vote.
He added that, “I know that the southern governors have said the presidency should go to the South and that includes the South East. The South East as a zone has said it wants inclusion in Nigeria to show that it is part of it.
“The demand of the South East is genuine and compelling but we would have to watch what would happen. We have to consult, negotiate and make people understand what the issues are.”
