Afeguwa, Atiku's former Spokesman, Condemns Atiku's Presidential Bid As An Act of Desperation

Daily Rendezvous

Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign spokesperson, Prince Kassim Afegbua, has rejected attempts by the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, to pick the 2023 presidential ticket of the party, saying that it goes against the established principles of equity and fairness of the main opposition party.

Afeguwa, who described the former vice president's declaration to run for president for the fourth time on the flag of the PDP as an act of desperate from a man who is too afraid for the outcome of the party's zoning committee.

He made the statement in reaction to Atiku's declaration to run for presidency on the flag of the PDP in 2023. Afeguwa argued that it is the turn of the south to produce the next president even as he maintained that it is wrong for the former vice president to be a recurrent candidate of the party.

Afegbua had earlier said that the emergence of the new PDP national leadership is a promising step for the party adding that the narrative will only be complete if the party backs a southern presidential candidate for the forthcoming poll.

Afeguwa has cited age as one of the reasons that President Muhammadu Buhari has been unable to meet the expectations of Nigerians, saying that as one in that age bracket, “it will be Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to continue to express interest in seeking election in the 2023 presidential election having attained the retirement age.”

The former Edo State commissioner added: “He cannot assume the role of a perpetual candidate or professional aspirànt year in, year out, of the party as though the party was established for him alone. It defeats all sense of logic for such an old man to attempt another round of political contestation at a time the general feeling and mood in the country supports a younger Nigerian from the Southern extraction of the country.

“For me, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should quit his quest for the presidency and support a southern Nigerian candidate in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice, that will assuage the feelings of stakeholders from the Southern part of Nigeria.

“It will be against the run of play and natural justice for any aspirànt of Northern extraction to show interest in the 2023 presidential election within the Peoples’ Democratic Party threshold.

“It will offend national sentiments, emotions and logic for anyone from the North to show such interest given our diversities and heterogeneous political configurations. Given PDP’s doctrine of political power balancing and fairness, it will be against its own unwritten rule to cede the ticket to any Northern aspirànt least of all Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.”

Afegbua alleged that Atiku abandoned PDP supporters after losing the 2019 elections only to re-emerge as the fresh election approached.

The former PDP campaign spokesman added: “Even those who are promoters-in-chief of Alhaji Atiku’s aspiration, know in their heart of hearts that it is a project that is dead on arrival.

“The Southern geopolitical zones of Nigeria have eminently qualified Nigerians and parade great minds who are competent and ready to take a shot at the number one job.

“Those who are advancing very nebulous theory of seeing the northern population as a stimulant to win the sympathy of the North against the South are either ignorant of the real demographics or at best, just playing the ostrich. No one in the North should take away what belongs to the South. That will be hurting the consciences and feelings of the average southerner.

“If the argument is to suffice for example, for an Atiku presidency, he will be finishing his first term of four years at age 81. And were he to become a candidate in 2023 again, and peradventure he loses the election, are we, as PDP, going to reserve the position for him or any other Northerner in 2027?

“These are very curious scenarios which cannot be overlooked. For 2023, an Atiku candidacy will be like promoting an expired product in the face of very compelling reason to look down South in our quest to wrestle power from the fractured APC.”

Afegbua revealed that he had been appointed into the Technical Committee for Atiku presidency but “having attended three meetings of the group, I found my spirit and conscience permanently in conflict with the ethos of justice, fairness and equity, which the south deserves.”

He further said: “A Nigerian of southern extraction deserves to be given unfettered opportunity to represent the party in the 2023 presidential contest. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and his northern aspirànts should support the aspiration of upwardly mobile and younger elements from the South to fly the PDP flag. Anything short of such will be tantamount to standing logic on its head, and a deliberate attempt to undermine the collective interest and aspirations of the Southern aspirànts.

“I will therefore implore the new management and members of the National Executive Committee of the PDP as well as the National Working Committee to speak with one voice in ensuring that the South is given what is due to it.

“Doing that will mean promoting the fundamental principles of democracy of all-inclusiveness and participation.”

“Nigerians in their millions are tired of seeing the faces of persons who have dominated the political space in the last forty years and yet, unwilling to take a bow. In the spirit of the new thinking and paradigm shift, please tell them to allow us to breathe,” Afegbua declared.