14th November, 2021
By Abdul Hassan
Alhaji Lawal Usman, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the party must zone its presidential ticket to the North for 2023 general elections for strategic reasons.
Usman, popularly called ‘Mr LA’, said this when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Zaria on Sunday.
“For the strategic interest of the party and the nation, the PDP must zone its presidential ticket to the North in 2023,” he said.
Usman said that the party must give the ticket to the North for fairness and equity.
“For justice and equity, the North should be allowed to produce the president in 2023 under the PDP.
“The PDP was at the helm of affairs in Nigeria for 16 years, out of these, the South West ruled for eight years under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the South South ruled for six years through former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“The entire North consisting of North Central, North East and North West only ruled for two years under late President Umar Yar’adua,” he said.
Usman, also a former Kaduna Central Senatorial candidate, said that the PDP had more supporters in the North than in any part of the country.
“The population of the PDP supporters in the North West, North East and North Central is enormous and should be considered in zoning the presidential ticket.
“Added to this is the fact that the North has a traditional alliance with the South East which dates back to early independence days.
“Strategically, for PDP to survive, we must win the presidential election in 2023 and this can only be done if we give the North the ticket.
“This is not because the North has the best candidates, no it is not, there are qualified people all over the country, but for strategic reason of winning the election we must zone the ticket to the North.
I believe that the PDP will win with landslide victory if it zone the ticket to the North,” he said.
Usman said that the PDP had been re-positioned by elders at the November National Convention in Abuja.
“Absolutely, the party elders used party mechanism to reposition the party by bringing together all warring factions and aggrieved people, this was done in the overall interest of the party and Nigeria as a whole.
“This is because there must be a party in place before you can start thinking of how to go for an election.
“They were able to put everybody together. It was a great job done by the party elders.
“The PDP is actually back and even stronger than before, to face the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023,” he said.