Apugo advises Jonathan to drop presidential ambition
By Anayo Okoli
Umuahia—A FOUNDING member of ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from Abia State, Prince Benjamin Apugo, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to drop his presidential ambition in 2011, and respect the zoning formula of the party, which is enshrined in the party’s constitution by the founding fathers.
According to him, zoning was introduced to ensure peace in the country.
Apugo, a Board of Trustee, BoT, member of the party, also threw his weight behind Mallam Adamu Ciroma’s call for Jonathan to respect the zoning policy of the party.
He condemned attacks by people on Ciroma, saying everything Mallam Ciroma said about zoning was correct.
“The attack on Mallam Adamu Ciroma is needless. Everything he said about zoning is correct. That is what those of us believe will bring lasting peace to the nation.
“The zoning arrangement is up to the ward level. When we did it, we never knew who was going to be the President. That was on August 30, 1998. It is for the country to be in peace. That is why we divided the country into six zones.
“It is not an accident; it is in Article 13 of the party’s constitution. Jonathan should not run. The North should complete their term, and in 2015, it will come to Ndigbo,” Apugo said.
The PDP chieftain also expressed disappointment at the way Dr. Nwodo-led National Working Committee of the party was running the affairs of the party, saying “a lot of horrible things happened at the National Secretariat of our party. What is happening at the National Secretariat is confusing”.
Apugo also touched on the state PDP in Abia State and called on the National leadership of the party to conduct a congress in the state, and warned that if the situation was left as it is, in the hands of caretaker committee, it would affect the fortune of the party in the state in next year’s election. He said it was absolutely wrong to have caretaker committee at all levels of the party’s structure in the state.
He said much as he was happy that Governor Theodore Orji joined PDP, he was not happy about the way old PDP members were shoved aside, which brought a lot of acrimony to the party. Apugo said he received complaints on daily basis from old PDP members who had been left out in the arrangement.
He, therefore, called for a congress to put in place proper party structure in the state, failure which he warned could have collateral consequences for the party in the state.
He also cleared the air on the issue of automatic ticket, saying there was nothing like automatic ticket in Abia State PDP.
He noted that even if automatic ticket arrangement was working in other states, Abia State had no place for it.
On how the party was being run by the Nwodo led leadership, Apugo expressed disappointment, saying what was happening there was horrible and confusing.
He described as “Kangaroo” the manner caretaker committee members were appointed in Abia State.
“In Abia state, it is caretaker, from state down to the wards. When will congress be held? I was not here when they made the kangaroo arrangement.
“They brought in Governor Orji, yes I am happy for that but everybody should be carried along. I have people who are bombarding me with complaints everyday. There is need for congress to carry everybody along.
“I told Governor Orji to carry everybody along. You are just coming into the party, if you don’t do that, PDP may lose the election.
“If he does not carry everybody along and continues with the sycophants around him, I doubt if PDP will win. Those who made PDP to fail in 2007, when people were not carried along, are still around.
“The present arrangement did not provide for the inclusion of old PDP members to be included in running the party.
“I am calling on the NWC to arrange for congress in Abia state. We can no longer continue with caretaker committees,” the PDP chieftain said.
