says that the choice of the party’s candidacy in the 2023 Presidential
election will be determined by the political terrain prior to the
general polls.
He said that the clamour by its members for a South South presidential
endorsement showed their maturity as stakeholders but would be decided
upon after members fully examined the country’s political terrain for a
balance.
Orbih gave the indication in an interview with the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) in Benin while reacting to the increasing agitation by
party loyalists from the zone for the party to zone the 2023 presidency
to South south.
He, however, noted that the clamour was an indication that the party
was a very organised one.
Orbih emerged the National Deputy Vice Chairman, South South of the
party at the party’s zonal congress held in Port Harcourt a forth night
ago.
He was returned unopposed at the congress held at the Obi Wali
International Conference Centre with 960 votes out of the 964 votes cast
by delegates from the six states in the zone.
According to him, before the party goes into any presidential contest,
it will sit and look at what is on ground politically.
“Based on that the party then takes a position on the zone where the
candidate will come from.
“No doubt there are lot of persons who feel strongly that there is need
for the party to formally zone the presidency.
“First, it will reduce rancour among members. Secondly, it will give
direction on what the party is looking at.
“Another thing is that as a matter of strategy, if the party settles for
a zone, it means we will take advantage of the place the party has zoned
it to.”
He, however, disclosed that as at present, the party had yet to zone the
presidency in the forth coming 2023 general elections.
He also explained that those agitating for the presidency to be zoned to
South South were of the strong opinion that the zone should return and
complete its denied second tenure.
“They also argued that considering the votes normally garnered by the
party from the zone, the party should not overlook the South South in
considering where the 2023 candidate should come from.
“They are just going by the saying that to whom much is given, much is
expected.
“The zone has given so much to the party in terms of votes, party
loyalty, commitment, and what have you.
“So they feel that the party should not overlook them when it comes to
the issue of the presidency.
“They believe that the votes they normally poll from the zone can even
be doubled if a candidate from the South South is considered,” the PDP
leader said.
On the issue of internal party discipline, Orbih said that people must
be able to exercise their rights.
According to him, that is why it democracy is all about.
Chief Orbih said that his emergence as the Zonal leader of the party was
a recognition of his good job to the party.
He noted that party members recognised his achievements especially
during his tenure as state party chairman in Edo.
He also said that his emergence was a challenge, in the sense that as at
today, the zone is the only zone where all the states are under the
control of the PDP.
“My immediate task is to sustain the party’s hold on the zone and
reconsolidate on our position and see how we can even increase the
number of votes in the zone for the party to get back to power all
over,” he said. (NAN)