2023 Presidency: PDP will Focus on Winning Election Rather than Zoning - Wike

The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesome Wike, has disclosed that the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) main focus for the 2023 Presidential election will be winning the election rather than Zoning.

Wike who spoke on Tuesday during Channels Television morning show, Sunrise Daily said that his party could not afford the luxury of zoning at the moment, as their main focus is to win the Presidential election come 20203.

Wike's comment is coming in the heat of controversies caused by comments from Mamman Daura on APC fielding a northern Presidential candidate.

Sharing the experience of how zoning almost deprived him the chance of emerging as the Governor of Rivers state,   Wike said: 

“When I came on board, people were saying no, the position shouldn’t control us (sic) because of my ethnic group but there was an argument that we are an opposition party. What we want to do is to win elections.

“As an opposition party, we look at all variables. What will make us win the election (comes) first. That is what is important to us. The ruling party can say that (zoning) but for the opposition party, there are variables.”

Read Also: Mamman Daura Breaks Silence On Dictating To Buhari, 2023 Presidency

“So, it is not one factor that will influence (decisions). So, many variables will come into play. So, it will be wrong for me as an opposition person to say this must be done now. No, I will not do that.”

Daura had last week triggered a debate after he said that zoning should not determine who emerges the next Presidential candidate of APC in 2023. 

 Senator representing Borno South Ali Ndume who seemed to disagree with Daura, yesterday said that it will be illegal for another northern to emerge as the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress in 2023.