Raymond Dokpesi, Media mogul and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says the North should retain power because no one from the Southern part of the country will be able to win the next presidential election.
Mr Dokpesi stated this in an interview with Daily Trust while speaking on rotational presidency, a subject currently being debated by politicians and major political parties in the country.
While individuals who consider themselves influential in the Northern part are keen on retaining power when President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration winds down in 2023, their Southern counterparts are not leaving any stone unturned to ensure power returns back to their region.
For the chairman of Daar Communication, the South-East geo-political zone, which should be favored should power return to South on the template of fairness, does not posses the political will to win the race for the exalted office.
With that in mind, he canvassed for power to remain in the North and advised whoever succeeds the outgoing Nigerian leader to adequately compensate the people of the Igbo predominantly area.
“If we are the Nigerians, I want us to be, if we believe in the unity of Nigeria and we also believe in equity, justice, and fairness, there is no reason we should not give it to the South East if the slot is given to the South,” Mr Dokpesi said. “However, is there equity, justice, and fairness in Nigeria’s politics? The answer is NO! So, don’t let us over flog the matter. I think that whoever emerges as the president of Nigeria would have to compensate the people of the South East if truly, we want the emergence of the new Nigeria.”
When asked if his party that has zoned its chairmanship position to the North should as well zone its presidential ticket to the same region, he answered in the affirmative, saying, “That is what I have stated.”
He continued, “The South East cannot win the election for the PDP that is just the truth of the matter. I don’t beat around the bush; I treat issues as they are and as I understand them.
“There is no candidate from the South East, even I dare say there is no candidate from the South that you put in the North today that will be able to win. It is going to be a humongous challenge,” he asserted.
He also said the opposition party should zone the chairman position which he is not interested in to the South, particularly to the South-West geo-political zone.
“Let me be emphatical and let me pledge to those that like me, those who always appreciate me for who I am that I am forever grateful for their support. However, I want to say emphatically that I am not interested in the chairmanship of the People’s Democratic Party.
“I am just regaining my sanity from the mental torture and the pain I went through in the hands of the APC-led federal government and I think that there must be a time to prepare properly and get yourself ready for the challenges ahead. So, for those reasons, I am not interested in the chairmanship of the party.
“But there are quite a lot of capable hands who can provide that leadership. I believe for a change that the leadership of the party should move to the South West. I believe very clearly that in the South West we have people like Chief Bode George. We have Oyinlola Olagunsoye. Yes, I have heard Jegede (Eyitayo Jegede) mentioned as one of the possible candidates from the South West. So, if we have to look at it, we have competent people who can lead the PDP to the election in 2023 from the South West. Any geopolitical zone you decide to pick from, you will find people that are committed, loyal, and willing to ensure victory for the party,” he added.
He also dismissed the idea that the two major political parties should field a Southern candidate for the next election.
“It depends on your arithmetic and what you are looking for. I belong to the Peoples Democratic Party and not the APC. So, the APC is free to do whatever they want to use as a strategy. In 2015, we presented a Southern candidate while they presented a Northern candidate and they were said to have won. So, what is wrong with us presenting a Northern candidate now while they present a Southern candidate?
“In the PDP, you are aware of the fact that President Obasanjo had a full eight years as a Southern candidate; he was succeeded by Umar Yar’adua, a northern candidate. Yar’ adua used two and half years during his tenure and the remaining of his tenure was used by Jonathan, who did another four years, making a total of six years for Jonathan. And since then, we have not had a candidate from the North. So, the North is still in deficit of the presidency if we are to look at it.
“Some people decided to be abstract but I am a scientist that is why I have taken it how it is. So, if you aggregate them, you can see that there is still a deficit in favour of the North. So, that should be part of what PDP should put into consideration. I don’t care about the age of the candidate but the experience, the capacity, the knowledge about Nigeria and the ability to unify this country.
“The fact that President Buhari is adjudged to be a complete failure does not mean that every Northerner is a failure; it is just a lack of policy. Even during the military regime, Buhari was a complete failure but those who brought him and decided to force him on Nigerians owed Nigerians explanations on why they brought him.
“A leopard does not change its skin. Buhari can’t change his capacity, he was limited and that was why he was overthrown in 1985. So, bringing him back was just to rubber stamp that failure. We are able to find liberal Northerners, competent ones that are able to fraternise irrespective of the religious, tribe, and political differences and unify this country. So, our main aim is to get the person who can unify Nigeria,” he added.
