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Osita Okechukwu, director-general of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), says former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is not a unifier due to his violation of the concept of power rotation between the south and north.
While fielding questions from journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Okechukwu said the breach is the genesis of the rift between Abubakar and Nyesom Wike, Rivers state governor.
Okechukwu said the decision of Atiku to contest the 2023 election is against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) constitution.
The VON DG said it would be a difficult task for Atiku to win the election due to various patriotic Nigerians who believe in the concept of zoning.
“My take is that Atiku is not a unifier and cannot defeat the Northern Governors Forum, Buhari, Obasanjo, Adebanjo, Clark and the sophisticated northern electorate by his mission to win by dividing the north and the south,” he said.
“It is an unforced error to think that he can manipulate our fault lines and the abundance of unifier patriots of the north. The northern electorate are very sophisticated, they voted for Zik, Abiola and Obasanjo.”
Okechukwu said the crisis rocking the party is unlikely to end before the 2023 election.
“Truly, take it or leave it, Governor Nyesom Wike’s main grouse is Atiku’s violent breach of PDP’s constitution, manipulation of governor Aminu Tambuwal and our fault lines,” he said.
“My bet is that the wound of Machiavellian dosage Atiku infested the PDP is not likely going to heal before the 2023 presidential election.
“These unifier patriotic forces won’t allow him no matter his gusto to trample and rubbish the good works of patriots who sacrificed their presidential ambition and instituted the rotation convention in our political firmament.
“Remember that before the APC Northern Governors Forum were unifier elder statesmen – Alhajis Abubukar Rimi, Umaru Shinkafi, Adamu Ciroma, Sola Saraki, who for equity, unity, fairness and enthronement of sense of belonging dropped their presidential ambition in 1999. They placed the unity of Nigeria above self.
“Please, don’t forget that we have unforgettable unification lessons. One is that Atiku violently breached PDP’s constitution, which expressly provided for rotation of power. This places in doubt his unifier claim.
“Secondly, he decamped to APC in 2014 on the pretext that former President Goodluck Jonathan breached power rotation to the north. Then it was the turn of the north, not now.
“Thirdly, in 2018 unifiers nationalists like Wike obliged PDP northerners an open field, when all southerners in obedience to rotation convention did not participate in the PDP presidential primary in Port Harcourt. He was the main beneficiary.
“Fourthly, Senators Ayu and Adamu, both northerners, were elected chairman of PDP & APC respectively anchored on the sure foot – turn of the south which is the bond of our unity and the health of our democracy.”
