Sign in Subscribe
Political parties

Prince Kassim Afegbua Urges PDP to Look Beyond Atiku, Supports Southern Candidate for 2023 Presidency

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Prince Kassim Afegbua, a former spokesman of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation and ex-Information Commissioner in Edo state, has called on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to look beyond former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and consider a Southern candidate for the 2023 presidential election. Premising his stand on the need for fairness and equity, Afegbua argues that Atiku's age, 80, makes him unsuitable for the presidency, and that the party should support a younger candidate from the South.

Key Takeaways:

  • Prince Kassim Afegbua, former spokesman of the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation, has urged the PDP to look beyond Atiku and consider a Southern candidate for the 2023 presidency.
  • Afegbua argues that Atiku's age, 80, is a significant factor in his decision, stating that he "cannot assume the role of a perpetual candidate or professional aspirant year in, year out" of the party.
  • Afegbua claims that Atiku abandoned the party after the 2019 elections, seeking refuge in Dubai, and left its leaders to face intimidation and harassment from the APC.
  • He maintains that Southern Nigeria has eminently qualified leaders who can give the ruling party a run for their money, and that the PDP should support a candidate from the South to complete the narrative of fairness and equity.
  • Afegbua also argues that Atiku's candidacy would be like promoting an expired product, and that the party should support a younger candidate from the South to give the APC a run for their money.
  • He has threatened to mobilize support for a Southern candidate and commence a process to "conscientize" opinions in favor of a South-based presidential candidate.

Statistics:

  • Atiku Abubakar is 80 years old.
  • Afegbua claims that if Atiku becomes a candidate in 2023, he will be finishing his first term of four years at the age of 81.
  • The National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, led by Senator Iyorchia Ayu, has not made any official statement on Afegbua's comments.

Sources:

  • A statement by Prince Kassim Afegbua entitled, '2023: Atiku and the age of Methuselah politics'
  • The statement made by Afegbua was obtained from unnamed sources in the party.

Read more