Godsday Orubebe resigns from PDP over the election of Atiku as the party's presidential candidate

FORMER Niger Delta minister Godsday Orubebe has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in protest of the party's decision to nominate former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as its presidential candidate.

 

On May 28, Alhaji Abubakar win the PDP primaries and became the party's flagbearer in next year's presidential elections. This is despite the fact that he is a northern Fulani Muslim like the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari and under a gentleman's agreement that exists between Nigeria's elite, the presidency should rotate between the north and the south.

 

Mr Orubebe, who shot to fame in 2015 when he vehemently criticised the then Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) chairman Professor Attahiru Jega, has been a staunch PDP member since its creation. Yesterday, however, he handed in his resignation letter to senator lyorchia Ayu, the PDP national chairman.

 

His letter read: “I write to formally inform you of my resignation from the PDP. This I have communicated to the chairman of Burutu Ward 3, Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State, effective June 20, 2022.

 

“Consequently, I am by this letter intimating you of my total withdrawal from all activities at the ward, local, state and national levels of the PDP. The present situation in the party does not inspire confidence that the party is ready to regain power in 2023.

 

"Against the mood of the nation and in complete disregard for the provisions of the party’s constitution, the party, threw the zoning of the presidency open, which created a situation that led to the emergence of a northerner as the party’s presidential candidate. This made the two topmost positions in the party, after your emergence as the national chairman, to be occupied by northerners, contrary to Section 7.3(c) of the party’s constitution.”

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