By Babs Oyetoro and Ojo Damisi
Former Governor of Jigawa State and chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party, Sule Lamido has described the call for Southeast presidency as diversionary saying it would work against the unity of the party at this crucial period.

He referred to the call by Afenifere leader, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, Middle Belt and South South leaders for Igbo presidency as lazy discussion saying they were canvassing their personal interest and not the position of the party.

Lamido quarried the electoral value of Pa Adebanjo in the Southwest noting that he could not guarantee Yoruba votes for the Igbo president at the general election in 2023, this much he said on Arise Television interview programme yesterday.

ASUU: I have done what Napoleon couldn’t do – Ngige

“If they want to engage us, they should engage the party and not talking to the media. Besides, I want to plead with media not create unnecessary division for the party with this campaign for Southern presidency. PDP is one united party”.
“Governor Samuel Ortom led committee had done their job and made their recommendation to the party leadership and I believe the right decision will be taken at the end of the day”, he noted.

However, he was quick to add that Nigerians were waiting for PDP to give them the right candidate that would lead them out of the wood the country found itself now.

He noted that all the PDP Governors that defected to All-Progressive Congress would cry later for ditching the party that brought them to limelight even as he expressed displeasure at former President Goodluck Jonathan for romancing with the ruling party.

But in a swift reaction, a Public Affairs Analyst and Director of Media and Publicity of the All-progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Mr Steve Otaloro pointed out that Sule Lamido should know that this is democracy and everyone is entitled to his opinions and choice in who they want to govern them.
He said’ I seriously believe that for Sule Lamido to have gone to the edge and lambasted the likes of Ayo Adebanjo and other Igbo leaders in their choice of leadership is totally uncalled for.

Abiodun to Osinbajo: Ogun ‘ll support your presidential ambition

“ He might not agree with them in their views, but he should not have reacted sharply the way he did.

“Most politicians might not also have agreed with the submission at that gathering of leaders of mainly from the Igbo extractions that are clamouring for Igbo presidency in 2023 but they will certainly not take them up on their preference for 2023.

“Nigeria is not for any particular part of the country to lead the rest. We collectively can only build this country together to be greater in the future”

Otaloro said the issue of which region governs the country next year that has now proliferated the polity is a time bomb that must not be allowed to detonate if we have to continue to exist as an indivisible entity beyond 2023.

According to him, “the issue of which region has the right to the presidency in 2023 should be secondary to who possesses the wherewithal and integrity to lead us in 2023 is my sincere thought”.