Barr. Kenneth Imasuagbon, a Peoples Democratic Party chieftain and philanthropist, has stated that merit, intellectual capability, and exposure should determine Nigeria’s next president.
He claimed that proponents of zoning do not love the country, noting that Nigerians must begin to consider a Presidential candidate capable of resolving the country’s slew of problems.
Imasuagbon said in a statement on Thursday that Nigeria is in an emergency situation that necessitated an emergency solution.
He stated that the PDP’s best option was to abandon zoning and ensure that an acceptable candidate emerged as the party’s Presidential candidate.
He insisted that the PDP never zoned the presidential ticket to the north in 2019 and that no southerner was ever asked not to run.
He said, “The state of the country is chaotic and troubling. We should not be contemplating zoning now. We should be thinking of who can do the job for the Almajiri in the streets, the farmers, secure the nation and help the economy to grow.
“The person who can fix our roads, make our schools work and give value to us as Nigerians.
“Who is that Nigerian that will come after President Muhammadu Buhari that will be courageous enough to call a spade by its name, heal the pains of the country and bring the country together.
“A well-travelled Nigerian that will not have complex when in Washington, that Nigerian that has done well in the private sector and served in government. The person who knows what to do from day one.
“Those calling for zoning do not love Nigeria. Merit, intellectual capability and exposure are attributes that should determine who becomes the next president.
Imasuagbon further stated, “I feel troubled when people talk about zoning because we are in emergency times and it demands emergency solutions. Look at our hospitals. I almost died of malaria because the drugs I got were fake.
“If we are talking about zoning, it is not the turn of the South. If it is PDP, the ticket should go to the North. Jonathan did six years, Obasanjo did eight years, Yar’Adua did two years and Buhari is completing eight years. These are not times for testing the waters.
“With a Northern presidential candidate, we can secure victory and rescue our country. Fairness and equity demand that if the south has done 14 out of 16, the north should be the next in line for the presidency.
“We are sitting on the precipice of strategic issues like job creation, security and the economy. We need somebody who has been tried and tested.
“To curb agitation, the best way for our party to go is to throw it open and let the best candidate emerge. The candidate that will heal the wounds. We need to put the country together. Nigeria is bigger than zoning, it is bigger than a political party.”