Reject PDP if party jettisons zoning, lawyer tells Southeast voters

ABUJA-based lawyer and former senatorial candidate for Imo East in 2019 elections Mr Chyma Anthony has urged Southeast voters  to reject Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if it does not zone its presidential ticket to the South.

Anthony, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, accused PDP of trading the interest of the South and, in particular, the Southeast, which have been its loyal supporters since 1999.

The lawyer, who said the Southeast  have, in the past, voted for PDP, said the region should not be traded off for the selfish interest of some groups.

He said the people cannot be cowed into accepting an open contest for PDP presidential ticket to satisfy the yearnings of a few.

Anthony urged the Southeast to reject PDP for any other political party that considers their interest.

He said: “As far as I am concerned, there are no cogent arguments for the presidential candidate of the party not to be zoned to the South.

“I wondered why PDP had decided to jettison zoning when on popular demand it is the turn of the South and, particularly, Southeast, to produce the next president.

“The Igbo have made a lot of emotional investment in PDP which has not yielded much”.

He said the people will vote en masse for any party that considers Southeast in picking its presidential candidate.

“I urge Southeast voters to dump PDP in 2023 should it jettison zoning, and consider another strong party in the region, such as All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as we cannot be loyal without a reward,” Anthony said.