Ebonyi State PDP Retains Umahi, Okorie In Micro-zoning

…Aspirant faults rotational presidency, seeks female candidate in 2019

Stakeholders in Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), at the weekend, announced the retention of Governor David Umahi in a micro zoning of elective positions for the 2019 election.

This came barely one week after his rumoured interest in defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC),

There had been some subterranean moves by certain PDP bigwigs to replace Senator Sonni Ogbuoji after his surprising defection to the APC.

The move sparked off discontent within the Ebonyi chapter of the PDP, a situation, which also led to speculations that the governor was on his way out of the party.

But the stakeholders, who met on Saturday, explained that the micro zoning was necessitated by the need to harmonise positions with a view to presenting consensus candidates for the 2019 poll.

They stressed that it was also to provide a guide for defectors, or those interested in joining the PDP from other parties.

Ebonyi South stakeholders, who met at the country home of a former deputy governor of the state, Prof. Chigozie Ogbu, said the incumbents from various local government councils, should retain the zoning arrangement.

Meanwhile, a presidential aspirant on the platform of the National Interest Party (NIP), Mrs. Eunice Uche Atuejide, has faulted rotational presidency in Nigeria.

Atuejide, who formally declared to run for the office in 2019, also canvassed the adoption of a female president in the next election.

The aspirant, who spoke at the weekend in Abuja, said those who are seeking to rotate the presidency between the north and south, are doing so to achieve their selfish desires.

According to her, the only way to move the country forward is to allow the right candidates to emerge without primordial sentiments.

The multilingual lawyer and actress said she would count on the goodwill of the vast majority of Nigerians who had been victims of poor governance.

“We need level-headed people who would not focus on persons or groups’ vested positions, but national interest.

“In offering myself to lead this country, my promise to everyone is to always do what is in the best of all the sides.”