2023: ”Any group of persons who loves fairness, equity and our national unity will not support a northern candidate for now”- Doyin Okupe

Former Presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, has expressed that the love for fairness, equity, and national unity will not see the support of a northern presidential candidate.

Okupe in a statement released on Tuesday, August 17 cautioned the Opposition party, The People’s Democratic party PDP against Fielding a northern candidate

Okupe said the North has the numbers to win Presidency at will, but political concessions are what has always been employed in Nigeria at moments of potential national schism.

The statement in part reads:

”We of the PDP Southern Presidency Advocacy Group, hereby wish to humbly counsel the leadership of the party and its stakeholders to do everything to zone the Presidency to the south.

“This desire is in consonance with the publicly expressed position of our political heads, the Southern Governors Forum and the yearning and aspiration of a majority of Nigerian citizens who hail from the southern part of Nigeria.

“The arguement of the proponents of a northern Presidential candidate for the PDP in 2023 on the surface seems unassailable. Especially against the assumption that our rival APC may choose a southern presidential candidate. However when this argument is viewed alongside the current sociopolitical situation in the country, it falls flat completely.Any group of persons who love fairness, equity and our national unity will not support a northern candidate for now.

“For a fact, the North has the numbers to win Presidency at will, but political concessions is what we have always employed in Nigeria at moments of potential national schism. We did this after MKO Abiola’s death and repeated the same concessionary considerations through the ingenious doctrine of necessity that saw to it that President Goodluck Jonathan peacefully succeeded President Yaradua after the latter’s unfortunate demise. We solemnly pray that wisdom and the national interest, hope for peaceful coexistence and our unity will prevail over crass political opportinism and overriding self interest in these trying times.”