By Kassim Omomia
As the search for a candidate to fly its presidential ticket thickens, there are indications that stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have zeroed in on south-south and south-east to pick their flag-bearer in the 2023 election.

This follows last week’s decision by the PDP Zoning Committee which zoned the national chairmanship slot to the north ahead of the party’s October 30 and 31 national convention.

The Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led PDP Zoning Committee had, on Thursday, recommended a zoning formula for the sharing of the 21 National Working Committee positions between the North and the South.

As a fallout to the development, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP will on Thursday meet to ratify the decision of the party’s Zoning Committee.

Although a communique issued by the Zoning Committee stated the mandate of the committee does not include zoning of the offices of the president and vice-president positions, there are indications that the presidential slot will be zoned to the south to ensure equity.

Already, indications emerged yesterday that bigwigs in the opposition parties are already routing for the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike; his Akwa Ibom and Delta state colleagues, Udom Emmanuel and Ifeanyi Okowa, to consider contesting for the party’s presidential slot, while others are projecting the 2019 vice presidential candidate of the party, Peter Obi, for the position.

A top party stalwart who spoke on the condition of anonymity said clandestine discussions may have begun with some of the governors on the matter.

Wike, Emmanuel and Okowa are already serving out their second term in office in their respective states.

The source also said the push was Obi to vie for the top position was also being considered, adding that the situation will become clearer as the national convention draws near.

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“There are already discussions with some governors of the south-south and a former vice presidential candidate in the 2019 election, Peter Obi, to contest the election. The underground movement is beginning to yield results. We are in talks with Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers, Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, and Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) to consider running for the 2023 presidential election,” he said.

The source also said the party’s presidential candidate in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, and a former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, are not relenting in their move to contest the presidential election.

According to the source, moves are still on to settle the controversy surrounding the embattled former national chairman of the party, Uche Secondus.

“You know Secondus has the backing of Atiku and there are moves to ensure that his matter is resolved ahead of the convention. If that is done, Atiku and Saraki will still be in the race,” he added.

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There are indications that the APC might not take a different position as the ruling party is still meeting to decide on its national chairmanship ticket.

Political stakeholders from the north and south have held diverse views on the rotational presidency as the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari, who is from the north, comes to an end in 2023.

A former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, said the return of the president to the south in 2023 is not by force but by mere persuasion that the North should support the position of the South.

Shittu told ThisNigeria, in an exclusive interview, that the resolve by the South that the Presidency should return to the zone after President Buhari’s tenure is not by force.

“Our insistence is not a by force thing. Like I have given you a certain statistic, we are talking about the meritorious election- one man one vote,” he said.

Shittu noted that even though everybody should try and persuade the larger percentage of the people to vote for their candidates, the South certainly needs the support of the North because of the great number of the voting population of the zone

“But of course, we certainly will need the support of the North because talking in terms of statistics of voters, North is way ahead of other parts of the country in terms of votes,” he said.

Also, constitutional lawyer and rights activist, Chief Mike Ozekomhe, said that the South needed to court the North to get a smooth sail to the Presidency in 2023

Ozekomhe stated in a chat with ThisNigeria, that notwithstanding the support given to President Muhammadu Buhari by the South that eventually gave him the plum job in 2015 and 2019, it was sacrosanct that the South courts the North and other ethnic nationalities

The Abuja- based senior lawyer who emphasized the need for collaboration between the two zones argued that in previous presidential elections held in 2003, 2007, and 2011, Buhari could not win even with the full support of the North because he did not reach out to the South

But until the likes of Bola Tinubu and others from the south gave him full support that he eventually made it in 2015 and 2019, Ozekomhe added.

“Sure, of course, Buhari’s serial failure to clinch the presidency in 2003, 2007, and 2011, shows that even with the North fully with him, he could never get it’ he pointed

“This is because he never stretched his handshake beyond the River Benue to reach the River Niger. It took Tinubu and others in the South West to push him to the plum position” Ozekomhe further disclosed

He, therefore, cautioned Southern politicians to stretch their hands of friendship and collaboration to the North because they cannot get the Presidency alone without reaching out to others

“Similarly, the south cannot get the presidency alone without courting the friendship of the North and other ethnic nationalities,” he added.

In a recent interview, spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, had also urged politicians from the north and south to dialogue on the matter.
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QThe best way to go about it is that as politicians, they know how things 1 . They should sit down with each other and talk. We have done this before, let them sort it out. Things that are basic to politics are discussions and negotiations, but they are not being done now,” he said.

Even though Govs Wike, Okowa and Emmanuel have not formally indicated interest in the top job, their vantage positions makes them top brides for their party.

The source said: “ Wike, for example, is an acclaimed top performer nationally. Even his fiercest critics will tell you he has done exceedingly well. He is fearless, fairminded and fights for the underdog. If his party picks him, he will give the opposing side a tough time and Nigerians love him.”

On Emmanuel and Okowa, he said: “These are also good materials. They have discharged their duties well. They are notable achievers.”

“Obi as governor was well-known for his track record of great performance. He is frugal and focused.”