The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, has urged the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to reject the report of the Gov. Bala Mohammed’s committee which recommended that the party should not zone its presidential ticket in 2023.

The recommendation, according to COSEYL is a ploy to deny the South East zone the opportunity to produce the President of the country being the only zone that has not benefited from the power rotation arrangement of the party.
COSEYL argued that PDP ceded its presidential slot to the North in 2019 which was not only respected but supported by the party faithful from South East with the understanding that it would be the zone’s turn in 2023.

The group in a joint statement by its President General, Chief Goodluck Egwu Ibem; and Secretary, Comrade Kanice Igwe, said adopting the report would be a grievous injustice against South East considering the zone’s huge contributions to the party.
” We reject in its entirety the no-zoning committee report headed by Bala Mohammed. The report is anti-people aimed at returning Prince Uche Secondus as National Chairman of the PDP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as his Presidential candidate come 2023 .
“The Mohammed self-serving report has confirmed the Peoples Democratic party, PDP, as a party that has no respect and value for party loyalty and support, but a party whose purpose is to serve personal interest and purpose.
“The South East has been a major supporter of the PDP since its formation from 1998 till date. A prominent son of South East Dr. Alex Ekwueme laid the foundation with his G34 group upon which the party was formed in 1998.
“Ndigbo has suffered, sacrificed and invested so much towards the progress and success of the party right from its inception till date and deserves to be given the party’s presidential ticket come 2023 for her hard towards the progress and success of the party.
“It is on record that Atiku Abubakar was part and parcel of the meeting that agreed on rotation of the party’s presidential ticket between the north and the south.
“Why is he now the brain behind changing the goal post at the middle of the game. In 2011 PDP presidential primary election, Atiku Abubakar openly told the entire world that he was in the meeting that agreed on zoning the presidential ticket of the party between the north and south.
“We expect the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to do the right thing and the needful by supporting the south east to produce the next PDP presidential candidate come 2023. Ndigbo all over the country supported in the 2019 general elections and he right he returns the favour.
“The PDP since it was formed enshrined in its constitution rotational presidency between the north and south. Never has it been said that a committee was formed to review such sensitive issue. It is dictatorial for anyone to think he can change the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket agreed upon by the party’s founding fathers.
“It is the time of South East geopolitical zone to get the party’s presidential ticket and nothing can change that.
“We the youths of the entire South East geopolitical zone warn Uche Secondus and his partners to stop their wicked plan to deny the South East its right of producing the presidential flag bearer of the party come 2023.”