2023 Zoning: PDP Committee's Report, a Response to Nigerians Demand, -- Oladimeji Fabiyi.

As political intrigues about where the likely successor of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023 begin, a faithful of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oladimeji Fabiyi has described the party's committee report preferring merit above zoning as timely response to national demand.

Fabiyi on Friday, while commenting on _Sunrise Daily_ , a breakfast show of _Channels TV_ , on the report of the Governor Bala Mohammed-led 2019 Elections Review Committee which recommended open contest for credible and competent Nigerians for the PDP's presidential ticket stated that the report reflects broad views of party stakeholders.

"What PDP has done now is to respond to what Nigeria actually need now. It's a response that's not so late and a deliberate response to get Nigeria working again; to get Nigeria out of the present state we are. It is a decision and action in the right direction," Fabiyi has noted.

The young party chieftain said the report was timely as it will allow the main opposition party enough time to put its acts together to embrace and implement the committee's report against the 2023 general elections.

Fabiyi stressed that with its recommendations, it suggests that the PDP is throwing the contest open to all Nigerians with capacity and experiences which he said were necessary in nation building. 

"Why are people saying the PDP didn't do zoning? Saying we're choosing merit is in itself talking about zoning. It's just that it didn't say pick from here or there; it's zoning in itself because it's a decision we have taken. Saying that we have taken meritocracy as a decision is a zoning in itself," he noted.

"What the PDP is doing now is to press the reset button to reorganize itself for Nigeria in preparation for 2023. The committee have come up with far-reaching recommendations that can really help this country. That should be commended and I think the leadership would take that report holistically and implement it. 

"Some of the things they said are quite fundamental. Look for instance the issue of merit; we need to take merit seriously. See, you can never achieve good governance if merit is jettisoned and at some point, you need to take that hard decision," Fabiyi said.

He said the party has always operated zoning, but it would not be a bad idea to tinker with another option that prioritize merits in the interest of the nation which he explains his party was trying to do now.

"When you look at some of the recommendations, it talks about youths inclusiveness, generational shift and gender inclusiveness; it talks about electoral reforms because the kind of governance you have is a reflection of your recruitment process; they talk about military and police staying out of politics and quite a number of things. So, as far as we are concerned in the PDP, we're happy about these recommendations," Fabiyi emphasized.

Fabiyi believed that a larger percentage of the party is satisfied with the recommendations as it stands a good chance to reset the party. "There is this argument that the Southeast and the Northeast are the zones that have not produced the president as such, but you know, Nigeria is such a big country with over 200 million people and we have a number of eminently qualified Nigerians in the PDP and outside that can lead the country. So the Committee thought the zoning is not a bad idea but let us put this in real perspective at least, for the rest of Nigeria.

"I know we don't want to repeat the mistakes of the past, so the PDP has gone beyond what happened in 2011 or 2015. We're looking into the future with renewed energy, vigour and vision," he said.

He disagreed that the defeat of the PDP in 2015 had anything to do with zoning, in view of the excellent performance of former President Goodluck Jonathan but blamed the outcome of that year's elections to misunderstandings among core party hierarchy which led to betrayal by certain top elements who were uncomfortable with the former president.

The PDP chieftain observed that the nation needs to reset and set a new order which his party desires to bring as a major step towards arresting the challenges bedeviling Nigeria.

Fabiyi in his response maintained that restructuring and internal democracy are very fundamental aspect of the recommendation and the party must ensure that electoral reforms is given all the deserved attention as it is the bedrock of our politics and overall development. 

According to him, the merit argument should be taken off the shenanigans of finance or other considerations but of individuals possessing the personality, capacity, competence, experience; the intellect and temperament  to turn things around; he canvassed for that Nigerian leader with whom the entire segments of the country would be comfortable to work with and get Nigeria working again.

In order to identify such persons, Fabiyi said the party's doors is wide open to everyone interesting to lead the country to sell themselves for assessment and scrutiny in open and transparent processes.