TheCable

Osita Chidoka, a former minister of aviation, says the south-east geo-political zone is the “owner” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Chidoka spoke on Sunday when he was featured on Sunday Politics, a programme on Channels Television.

The PDP chieftain said the south-east has made 24 years of investment in the PDP and will not throw away the loyalty during the presidential election in February.

Chidoka, who hails from Anambra, said the south-east would support the PDP despite that someone from the zone did not win the party’s presidential ticket.

“I am of the considered view that the two parties structure (PDP and APC) offers all the ethnic groups the opportunity of winning that presidency — once you get the ticket of one of those parties your pathway to the presidency becomes clearer,” he said.

“The reason why I am of that considered view is that if you look at the considerable investment of the south-east in the PDP — we are the owners of the PDP. We have given on average 80 per cent of the votes to the PDP.

“Now, PDP did not give us the (presidential) ticket for 2023. I don’t think it is enough reason to throw away that significant investment because we need to get that investment to work for us together with other parts of Nigeria.

“If it was that only Igbos will vote in the election then that will have been a different matter. The Igbo position for me is that our significant investment in the PDP of 24 years cannot be thrown away overnight.”

Chidoka said if Atiku Abubakar, the party’s candidate, wins the election he would create an opportunity for someone from the south-east extraction to succeed him.

“Atiku Abubakar has won the election. It is just a matter of time. When we get to February 25th, the country will say it,” he said.

“The Igbo presidency is just around the corner,” he added.