Uchendu Alexis
Osita Okechukwu, the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), has placed the blame squarely on Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the party’s defeat at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Okechukwu argued that despite the People’s Democratic Party having a strong chance of victory in the 2023 presidential election, it was Atiku Abubakar’s political aspirations that hindered the party’s success.
According to the VON DG, Atiku’s failure to seize the opportunity and act as a statesman by endorsing his former running mate, Peter Obi, or any other Southern presidential contender, caused a rift within the opposition party.
Okechukwu stated, “The internal conflicts could have been resolved if Atiku had adhered to the zoning convention, supported Peter Obi, or any other Southern presidential candidate. It could have been a straightforward all-Southern contest.”
He continued, “Atiku’s actions divided the PDP’s votes irreparably. All the votes the Labour Party received were from the PDP’s stronghold, minus the votes that were hoarded by the former Vice President. He seemed to forget that Northern voters are among the most sophisticated in the country, and he believed that the Northern electorate would follow directives like children in a dormitory waiting to be told how to vote.”
“It’s evident that when Atiku prioritized personal ambition over statesmanship, he unknowingly or knowingly inflicted a severe blow to the unity of the PDP. As the old saying goes, ‘a divided house cannot stand.’ Nigerians should recognize that Atiku’s greed denied the PDP a potential victory.”
This analysis by Okechukwu sheds light on the internal dynamics and decisions that contributed to the PDP’s outcome at the Presidential Election Petition Court.
