In what seems like a major shift in his political philosophy of rotational presidency, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu has said that he never said the 2023 presidency “must” be a southern affair.
“I never said it (2023 presidency) must, as a matter of life and death, become a southern affair,” the former presidential aspirant said Tuesday on Channels Television’s special election programme, The 2023 Verdict.
Momodu, now an ally of PDP flag bearer for the February 25 poll, Atiku Abubakar, had contested the party’s presidential primary in May but lost to the former Vice President.
Momodu had said it is unfair for a northerner to succeed the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, who is from Katsina State in North-West Nigeria and whose eight-year tenure ends in May 2023.
However, in a twist, Momodu, who has since been appointed the Director of Strategic Communications of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, said he never said the 2023 presidency “must” be a southern affair.
Momodu explained that the powers within his party changed the tempo before the primary last May by throwing the ticket open.
He said, “The powers that be within PDP were the ones who changed the mood of the moment. My mood was that: yes, a lot of people within the people wanted power in the south…
“Once the party decided to throw it open, you cannot blame me for that. I am a loyal party man but there is nowhere where it was signed that a southerner cannot become vice president. The party is always supreme.”
He dismissed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu; and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, saying both candidates, though they are southerners, don’t have what it takes to reposition Nigeria.
Momodu said only his candidate, who is from Adamawa in Nigeria’s insurgency-troubled North-East has what it takes to reposition Nigeria. He called on other contestants in the May presidential primary of the party like Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to join forces with Atiku to form a formidable force in the forthcoming poll
