Peter Obi advocates competence as PDP considers zoning of offices

A former Vice-Presidential candidate under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Peter Obi has reiterated the importance of electing competent and capable hands in order to steer the affairs of the country in the right direction.

Obi made this assertion during a live interview on AriseTV monitored by Ripples Nigeria.

With ongoing discussions amongst political stakeholders on zoning and its ramifications for the country, the former Anambra Governor cautioned against zoning for the sake of it while sacrificing competence.

“I advocate competence and not zoning, ideally. Every zone has competent people. In whatever we do, let us consider competence and capacity; not just zoning for the sake of zoning,” he implored.

He further spoke on the ongoings within the PDP ranks regarding zoning and the 2023 Presidency.

Read also: Peter Obi throws weight behind Lagos, Rivers in fight to retain VAT

“I can’t speculate on what the PDP zoning committee is going to do but in discussions, I do not see zoning of the Chairmanship to any section being a determinant on where the next President emerges from. We have to get it right in 2023 or we are finished.

“I can’t predict whether the PDP will zone the Presidency to the north but the Southern Governors want the position to come to the region.”

On the issue of the recent gale of defections as witnessed with the high-profile switch of a former minister, Femi Fani-Kayode to the ruling All Progressives Congress, Obi said, “The defections are worrisome. I never made the comment about defecting from APGA; it was never caught on tape and it was orchestrated by some naysayers. I was a close aide and confidant to Goodluck Jonathan and it was impossible I would have said PDP is a curse to the South-East even when I was in APGA.

“What is worrisome is people being led weekly to take photoshoots with the President. I want to see President Muhammadu Buhari taking pictures with the troops, with enterprising youths et al.

“The perception is sending the wrong signals that you can get to be something from nothing, which is why the country is in ruins.”

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