A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka says the party can’t remain a viable without winning the bulk of votes in northern Nigeria as it did to govern Nigeria from 1999 to 2015 before it lost to Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“What we have in the PDP now is what I call a ‘Northern Strategy’; restoring PDP as a national platform that cuts across its base in the South-East, South-South and take it to the north again.
“Without us winning back the north into the PDP as a party, we will not be able to remain a viable national platform. So, what is at stake today is the mechanism of doing that,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Tuesday.
The ally of PDP flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar, however, said his party’s strategy of winning back the north won’t be at the expense of losing its base in Southern Nigeria.
He also faulted the permutation of the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, on parties controlling Kano, Lagos and Rivers states.
According to him, no party has won all the three states at once since 1999.
With Nigeria’s return to democracy after years of military rule, PDP produced then Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo (1999 to 2007), Umaru Yar’Adua (2007 to 2010), and Goodluck Jonathan (2010 to 2015).
The party has since jostled to return to Aso Rock for the top job in 2023 having failed in 2015 and 2019. PDP faces a major challenge in the next presidential election as it produced Adamawa-born Atiku to succeed Katsina-born Buhari — both from northern Nigeria, a development faulted by proponents of zoning.
‘Future Of G5 Tied To PDP’
On the crisis rocking the PDP, Chidoka said his party will continue to work on winning Rivers and will work on winning back five aggrieved governors of the party known as the G5 or the Integrity Group because their future is tied to the PDP.
“We will continue to work to win Rivers State and I believe that Governor (Nyesom) Wike understands that his future is tied to that of PDP, same as the other four governors,” he stated.
The former minister said the PDP will “work towards every issue and ensure every contradiction between the party is resolved before the election and I am very hopeful about that”.
