The Southern Nigeria Ethnic Youth Leaders Assembly on Wednesday said the ploy by the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to throw its presidential ticket open, is a clear murder of justice, fairness and equity in the Nigerian nation and may mar its unity.
The group called for a rotatory style of presidency, saying it is the only way to ensure a sustainable peaceful coexistence in the country.
The youth group, which stated this in a statement signed by its President, Felix Worlu, and the Secretary-General, Comrade Igboayaka O Igboayaka, accused PDP of turning the nights of southeasterners into mere daylight.
The group’s statement reads: “Since PDP has murdered sleep from our eyes, therefore, they wouldn’t sleep again in Southern Nigeria until the party is finally buried.”
“The Southern Nigeria Ethnic Youth Leaders Assembly, therefore, give PDP 7-days to reconsider ceding PDP presidential tickets to Southeast “or be ready to bear the gracious consequences of such Injustice and Marginalization against southeasterners.
“PDP office/flag from ward level to State will for no reason, whatsoever be in Southern Nigeria if they dare deny a south-easterner PDP president ticket.”
Decrying the plot, the group further said: “By throwing PDP president ticket Open, PDP has murdered justice, fairness and equity. Therefore, Southern Nigeria Ethnic Youth Leaders Assembly shall apply every political means both conventional and unconventional to send a signal to PDP from the day of the primary if they deny southeast presidential Aspirants tickets.
“With every fairness, the Southern Nigeria Ethnic Youth Leaders Assembly insist on a rotational president as a condition to guarantee peace and Unity in Nigeria. PDP by their actions want to destroy Nigeria which was painstakingly built by Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and the Nigeria General Yakubu Gowon fought for in 1967/70.”
The youth group, therefore, appealed to Yusuf Magaji Bichi, Maj. Gen. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno, Maj. Gen. S.A Adebayo and Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi to call the PDP leadership to order regarding the party’s presidential ticket, lamenting that, “or their actions may mar Nigeria’s unity.”
“Therefore, they should not have any business to site their office let alone mount their flags in any part of Southern Nigeria,” it said.
It regretted that the southeast region of the country had been deprived of opportunities of producing a President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for 57 years.
“Rotatory presidency is where Southern Nigeria Ethnic Youth Leaders Assembly stand. No doubt, that Southeast Nigeria has been marginalized and deprived of presidency since 33 years of Military rule and 24 years of Democracy rule,” Comrade Worlu recounted.
