By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi, has appealed to the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, his co-aspirants and other concerned PDP supporters to consider him for the party’s 2023 presidential ticket in line with equity and fairness.

He noted that since the return of democracy in Nigeria, only the late former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme, a distinguished Southeaster, who contested the party’s presidential primaries with Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 and lost, was the only one from the zone to have gone that far. Obi appealed that, in order to fill the long vacuum, he should be considered on the consensus option as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

He however maintained that if the consensus option is played down, he would still be in top position to clinch the presidential ticket of the PDP in free and fair primaries.

Obi made the argument while speaking with journalists shortly after he received the 2023 PDP presidential nomination/expression of interest form, purchased for him by a group known as “Young Professionals” at his Onitsha residence. He said: “From 2003-2019, no person like me from the South East Nigeria, under PDP has aspired for the position again.

“My first outing in 2019 was to vice for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. So I urge the party leadership to put this into consideration and make me its consensus candidate for the February 18, 2023 presidential election.”

While thanking the group for their support, Obi assured them of his commitment to the future of Nigeria youths, promising to turn the country around for good and free it from the trending security challenges.

Earlier in his speech, the National Convener of Young Professionals, Mr. Daniel Rueben, from Warri, Delta State, who presented the forms to Obi, on behalf of the group, said the former Anambra State Governor met the criteria used in the choice of a Nigeria presidential candidate for the group.

According to him, the group which is an umbrella body of all registered professional bodies in Nigeria comprised of medical doctors, engineers, entertainers, legal practitioners, and media, among others, in alliance arrived at the decision based on the candidate’s (Peter Obi) experience in administration, management of economy and politics.

Rueben added: “Competence, capability, credibility, acceptability, both locally and internationally, experience in administration, management of economy and politics, were the attributes seen in Mr. Obi that motivated us to support him.”

Present at the event were, Senator Uche Ekwunife, Hon. Sam Awaso, former Anambra State PDP governorship candidate, Mr. Valentine Ozigbo, Barrister John Okoli Akirika, among others.

Update news