Immediate past chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, has disclosed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made a mistake when it fielded Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
Akawor stated that when Atiku visited the state during his campaign rounds, we openly told him that the Rivers State chapter of the party was not happy with the zoning arrangement.
It was gathered that the PDP chieftain disclosed this during an interview with The Punch over the weekend.
He said: “My advice to them is that if you make a mistake in your journey, go back to the junction where you made the mistake and take your bearing. They made a mistake.
“When Wazirin Adamawa came here when he was going around, it is on tape, after his brief to us, I openly told him I said, ‘Sir, I know you very well, I worked under you as a minister and you did well in the economic reform under then President Olusegun Obasanjo. Telecommunication, this, this, this, you did very well, sir.
READ MORE: “We’re Open For Alliance To Oust APC From Power” – NNPP Replies Atiku Over Merger Proposal
“But in our party today, there is a problem. The problem is that we in Rivers State, I’m speaking on behalf of Rivers people. We are not happy that the party has jettisoned our zoning system.’ Dino Melaye stood up to defend.
“I remembered his defence, but I have made my point. Where did it land us? You see where we are now. So the party must go back to the junction and get its bearing. That’s the only advice I have for the party at national level.
“We voted for a Southern President because that’s what we believed in and I told Waziri Adamawa when he came here to this party secretariat that we are not happy that the party has jettisoned the zoning system.”
