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The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorchia Ayu, on Thursday, told popular journalist, Dele Momodu, that members of the party, and not leaders, would determine who emerge as PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.
Ayu also told the Chief Executive Officer of Ovation Media Group that the PDP has no preferred presidential candidate, noting that the party would provide a level-playing ground for all aspirants.
Momodu on Thursday afternoon visited Ayu at the PDP National Secretariat in Abuja where he formally presented his letter of intent to contest the presidential ticket of the party.
Addressing Momodu in his office in the presence of pressman, the PDP National Chairman said, “For you to run for office, you must have a strong platform but the first responsibility I will charge you to do is to work hard and build a strong party which we can go into battle with.
“For your personal ambition like all other candidates, I wish you well, I wish you the best.
“There will be a level playing ground for all aspirants; we don’t have a special candidate, we don’t have preferred candidate, the party members will decide who will contest any office.
“If at the end of the day, party members vote for you that you are the one they want, the party will stand behind you. You have to go out and work out there among the party members across the country because the party leadership will not do it for you. Our job is to try and provide the necessary mechanism.”
Momodu joined the PDP in October 2021, saying the achievements recorded under the PDP administration “have been diluted, wasted, or diminished by the present APC (All Progressives Congress) government.”
Momodu’s public declaration to run for president followed those by APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu; and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; that they would be running for President in 2023.
The two APC members had separately visited the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in Aso Villa this week and informed the President of their intention to contest the next presidential election.
