After several weeks of speculations, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has officially thrown the presidential ticket of the Party ahead of the 2023 elections open.

However, the party at its 96th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting officially declared that "after a very extensive deliberation NEC aligned with the recommendation of the PDP National Zoning Committee that the Presidential Election should now be left open. The Party should also work towards consensus candidate where possible."

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the spokesman of the party, Debo Ologunagba noted that NEC noted the recommendation of the Zoning Committee that in the interest of justice and fair play, the Party should take decision on Zoning timeously so as to prevent complications to the process.

On the Presidential Primary and National Convention, according to him, NEC ratified the conduct of the Presidential Primary (Special National Convention) to elect Party’s Presidential Candidate on Saturday May 28 to Sunday May 29, 2022 in Abuja

"NEC approved the setting up of the National Convention Organizing Committee and approved the appointment of His Excellency, Senator David Mark as Chairman, His Excellency Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as Deputy Chairman and His Excellency Barr. Ibrahim Shema as Secretary.

"NEC assured of free, fair, credible and transparent processes for the emergence of our Party’s Candidates for all elective positions in the 2023 general elections."

Earlier in his remarks, the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Iyorcha Ayu, boasted that nothing will stop PDP from winning the 2023 election, adding, "we're not only getting more united, we're also working harder. And I believe that with this spirit, we'll definitely do very well in the forthcoming elections and nothing will stop us from taking over power come May next year."

The Sokoto state governor and Chairman, PDP Governors' Forum, Aminu Tambuwal, who spoke on behalf of the governors, commended the party National Chairman, adding that the transformation in the Party is a sign of good thing to come.

 

"We're very proud of the work you're doing. We can see as chairman said, seeing is believing. The transformation our NEC hall is a good sign of good things to come. The transformation is just starting. The repositioning of the party is just starting and that by the grace of God we are with you all the way to victory and to success for us to rescue and rebuild our country."

The Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu, on his part, berated the All Progressives Congress (APC) over what is happening in the country.

He called on the federal government to resolve the lingering strike by lecturers in the public universities, the challenge in the aviation sector and take stronger steps to secure the release of those abducted by terrorists including in the Kaduna/Abuja train attack and especially the woman who put to bed at the den of kidnappers.

He said: "We call on the Federal Government to immediately resolve the industrial action so that our students can return to their studies.  

"We also restate our demand to the Federal Government to address the challenges in the aviation sector as well as the lingering fuel crisis which have further crippled our nation’s economy.

"More importantly, we call on President Muhammadu Buhari to take stronger steps to secure the release of those abducted by terrorists including in the Kaduna/Abuja train attack and especially the woman who put to bed at the den of kidnappers. We must not let our citizens continue to languish in captivity."

It will be recalled that the party had in the past months embroiled in crisis over where the presidential ticket should be zoned to.

While the southern stakeholders of the party were of the opinion that the ticket should be zoned to South, their Northern counterparts maintained that the contest should be thrown open.