The Northwest Coordinator of the Gbenga Hashim Vanguard, Aminu Bala Wudilawa has said that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) should throw its presidential ticket open for those interested to contest rather than zone it to a particular zone.
Wudilawa, who spoke in Kano on Monday, faulted the move, describing it as “null and void” and a violation of both the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2022.
According to him, Section 84(3) of the Electoral Act explicitly states that no political party can impose additional conditions on aspirants beyond what is provided for in the constitution.
“Zoning has no legal basis; it is at best a gentleman’s agreement. The constitution guarantees every qualified Nigerian the right to aspire to any office, and PDP cannot take that away,” he declared.
Wudilawa recalled that in 1999, despite zoning arrangements, former President Olusegun Obasanjo faced stiff competition at the PDP primaries from other aspirants. Similarly, in 2003, he was challenged by northern politicians including the late Abubakar Rimi and Barnabas Gemade.
He further pointed out that the PDP National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Iliya Damagum, recently told the BBC Hausa Service that the NEC resolution would not bar any northerner from contesting the presidency.
The chieftain of the Gbenga Hashim Vanguard therefore, urged northerners with ambition to freely join the race, insisting that the PDP must allow for a level playing field.
“We are calling on all interested northerners not to be discouraged. The contest should be open, democratic and fair. The PDP belongs to all Nigerians, not a section of the country,” he said.
