By CHARLES IWUOHA

A foundation member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Osita Okechukwu, has mocked the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for reportedly jettisoning the zoning of its presidential ticket.

The Enugu politician said it was akin to buying vehicle with the name tag, ‘No refund after payment’.

Okechukwu, who is also the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) said that by jettisoning zoning convention, the main opposition party had violently breached its own constitution and the national convention which governed our 4th Republic.

He further opined that by discarding zoning, PDP had shot itself on foot and put itself in harm’s way, thus endangered internal democracy, national unity and had abandoned its original stronghold, the southern belt.

Accordingly, by jettisoning the zoning convention PDP has, according to him, purchased a vehicle tagged, “No refund after Payment”.

“The Bazaar Carnival stage in the next few weeks has branded PDP’s vehicle No Refund after Payment,” he said.

Okechukwu spoke while reacting to the news that the PDP has thrown open to all the geopolitical zones, in the country, the contest for its presidential ticket.

Answering questions from journalists, Okechukwu noted that the latest decision taken by the PDP would expose its presidential aspirants to extortion by party members, who are fully aware that there is no refund in money politics.

Asked why he tagged PDP’s new vehicle, “No refund after payment”? Okechukwu retorted, “Firstly, the PDP has shot itself on the foot, has breached its own constitution and the golden zoning convention governing our 4th Republic; hence endangering its internal party democracy and national unity.

“In addition, by this singular unforced error of selfishness, PDP has thrown away the baby and the bathe water.

“Secondly, and most importantly, the PDP by jettisoning the zoning of president has abandoned the Southern belt which is its original stronghold. Especially now that APC has patriotically zoned the presidency to the Southern belt.

“Thirdly, PDP has committed error of judgment by banking on northern voters, forgetting the sophistication of Northern Voters, who voted MKO Abiola against Bashir Tofa and who voted Chief Olusegun Obasanjo when Yorubas did not vote for him in 1999. They are gambling with the wrong horse; all Northerners and Nigerians in general need is healing, unity and peace.”

Speaking further, Okechukwu said the PDP had opened the Pandora’s box of Stomach Infrastructure, by exposing her presidential aspirants to “money bags-rat race, a scenario where members with full knowledge that there is no refund after payment will swoop and milk the aspirants dry.”

According to him, in the absence of a father figure like President Buhari in the fold of the PDP, the outcome and huge crack in jettisoning zoning convention is unimaginable, therefore, PDP’s center can no longer hold.

Reminded that PDP has father figures like IBB and Obasanjo, Okechukwu quipped, “The Generals are operating from outside the ring, they don’t have the much needed political clout to whip anyone into line.”

Okechukwu summed up by noting that Nigerian voters definitely will pay the PDP in its own coins as was the case in 2015 when they flouted the zoning convention.

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