...warns political parties to be sensitive to Nigeria's multi-zonal nature.
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A group of young professionals from the South Western part of Nigeria, the Oduduwa Young Professionals, has condemned what it termed hatred for the Yorubas by the People's Democratic Party, PDP.

Addressing its members and some journalists after a meeting on Sunday evening, the group's Publicity Secretary, Joshua Alade said the party should have been sensitive enough to know there is equity in its own constitution.

Alade in his words said " this matter is not only about PDP but all the political parties, but we must say that we are shocked and totally embarrassed that despite the obvious fact that it is only South West that is yet to produce its chairmanship, PDP Zoning Committee in plain sight had enough temerity to call the bluff of the entire Yoruba race and the pronounced equity in its party's constitution and zoned out the same position to the North."

The obviously furious spokesperson said "except the party, through its National Executive Committee will stop this coup its Ad-hoc Committee orchestrated against the Yorubas, our group and many others shall take the action as direct threat against our people and shall do everything within the law to protect our interest in 2023."

The PDP Zoning Committee had through its release zoned all positions currently occupied by Southerners to the North and all being held by the Northerners to the South.

Though the party's Zoning Committee's decision is not the official position of the party, as its recommendations are yet to be submitted to the NEC which set it up and have powers to deliberate, amend or ratify whatever the recommendations are.

"We are not unaware that the position taken by the Zoning Committee is not official yet but for it to have released its report without recourse to the NEC that set it up shows there is a sinister plan against the Yorubas in the party and we are right now passing a strong message to the party, that whatever arrangement that will not end with a South West chairmanship shall be viewed as a threat to the political rights of our people who are its members. So, it is left for the NEC to decide on the outcome of its own adhoc committee that has so much disrespected it, to ease the tension already created"; Alade said.

Reacting to the rumour that zoning the party chairmanship is in preparation to its zoning the presidential ticket to the South in 2023, the group said the chairmanship position is first a sure bet than a presidential ticket which will be thrown open to all southern zones and possibly might not be picked by someone from the Southwest. Alade in his own words countered that "what is ours should be given to us now, when we get to presidential issues, then the party can decide whatever will ease the current sufferings in the land."

He said "what if the ticket is eventually zoned to the north which has also laboured for the party but by fate only has only gotten two years nine months presidential representation out of the party's sixteen years of being in power unlike the southern part? So, we know what we are saying by saying that the chairmanship that in all parameters is now the turn of our brothers and sisters in PDP should be given to them."

The group also sent words to other political parties to play by the rules of their books in promoting and consolidating democracy in Nigeria and engender brotherhood through political inclusivity.