Jimi Agbaje, a chairmanship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has cautioned the party against undermining the electoral value of the South-West.

Agbaje said the PDP might shoot itself in the foot in the run-up to the 2019 elections if it ignored the agitation of the zone to produce the national chairman of the party.

In an interview with INDEPENDENT, on Tuesday, the former Lagos State governorship candidate of the party said only the South-West zone had yet to produce a national chairman for the party.

He said: “For me, I will argue that in our present situation, for the PDP as an opposition party, the South-West should produce the chairman and there are reasons for this.

“In the first place, the foundation of the PDP is based on all-inclusiveness.

“That was why the founding fathers of the party came up with the issue of zoning so that everybody will be part of the party.

“So, if you follow that and you have a situation where the South-East has had chairmanship for some number of times, the South-South has had it temporarily for a while but the South-West has never had it.

“So, that means if we follow that principle, of course the South-West can say in that spirit, it should produce the chairman.

“Again, we have a situation where there is a reality and if you look at the election of 2015, the PDP had a lot of difficulty in convincing the South-West that the administration had done well for the zone.

“The complaint in the South-West was that the region was short-changed in the 2015 election.

“So, you have a situation today where, if you look at the South-West in the present ruling party (APC), the region has the vice president and key ministries such as power, works and housing, finance and so on.

“So, if the PDP as an opposition party wants to win the next election, it needs the vote of the South-West.

“The question will now be as a party, what will the PDP be selling to the people of the region to vote for it in 2019?

“Based on what the South-West is presently enjoying under the APC government, if we want to call it enjoyment, then we will need to match or even beat what they presently give to the South-West.

“But in a situation where you don’t give South-West presidency, you don’t give them vice presidency and you don’t give them national chairman, then it makes it difficult.

“The truth is the votes of the South-West are not negligible. Even at the last election, the winner of the presidential election, that is President Muhammadu Buhari, got 2.5 million votes.

“But even with the complaints by the South-West, the PDP still managed to get 2.1 million votes.
“For me, it is putting the case forward and saying that it is better and in the interest of the PDP to get the South-West.”

Shedding more light on why the South-West is crucial to the victory of the PDP in 2019, Agbaje said, “The South-South and the South-East are predominantly PDP already and are likely to remain so.

“The South-West today is not really crazy about the ruling party at the centre as it was prior to the 2015 election, so it means that they may be open to looking at the other side.

“So, if you don’t have anything to offer them, then you are not going to get them to vote for you.

“So, they have two options: either to vote for the present arrangement or to sit down at home on election day.

“These are the realities why I believe the South-West should produce the national chairman.”
https://independent.ng/2019-pdp-cant-afford-toy-south-west-jimi-agbaje/

OK

No comments but I thought south west is Tinubufied to APC. Just thinking ooo

SO LONG THEY ARE NOT PLANNING ON TAKING VP FROM SW THEN THEY ARE MAKING A DANGEROUS MOVE THERE, THE POLITICAL CALCULATION SHOULD BE:
*CHAIRMAN- SW
*VC SOUTH- SS
*VC NORTH- N
*PRESIDENT- NORTH
*V PRESIDENT- SE
*SEN PRSDNT- SW
*ETC...

South West should remain with the stagnant boat called APC

“So, you have a situation today where, if you look at the South-West in the present ruling party (APC), the region has the vice president and key ministries such as power, works and housing, finance and so on.

“So, if the PDP as an opposition party wants to win the next election, it needs the vote of the South-West.

“The question will now be as a party, what will the PDP be selling to the people of the region to vote for it in 2019?

Well, Wike and Fayose are proposing Ladoja as deputy chairman of the party and that is what you PDP jokers will sell to south west in 2019. Good thing however is that Yoruba's are not bastards. We are very smart politically and understand the game well enough. We won't throw away what we currently have for the rubbish that PDP is offering.

Jimi Agbaje should be the PDP chairman and lead the PDP fight back in the south west

Nigerians have no business in democracy. Everything in Nigeria is sectional fueled by tribal tendencies.

Duru1:
Nigerians have no business in democracy. Everything in Nigeria is sectional fueled by tribal tendencies.

All your post on Nairaland is fueled by tribal tendencies and your penchant hatred for the Yoruba race. You are the last person that should complain about tribalism.

krendo:
Jimi Agbaje should be the PDP chairman and lead the PDP fight back in the south west

they need someone rugged... jimi seems too calm

When you see an all-inclusive party, you just know..

Was the chairmanship for APC ever debated?

All the PDP people in the SouthWest should better find another profession

seunmsg:


All your post on Nairaland is fueled by tribal tendencies and your penchant hatred for the Yoruba race. You are the last person that should complain about tribalism.

I am for disintegration of Nigeria so that nation states should emerge based on cultural affinity. Pretense is not a stock in my trade. It is foolish for you and ilk to talk about unity in the zoo called Nigeria yet embrace tribal tendencies at any slightest opportunity.

common pdp chairman, na him afonja de cry for.....
igbos do not hold any strong post in apc heaven no fall and when they complained, you double claw faces were calling them cry cry babies

Critical decision making stage for PDP. Jimi Agbaje!

seunmsg:


Well, Wike and Fayose are proposing Ladoja as deputy chairman of the party and that is what you PDP jokers will sell to south west in 2019. Good thing however is that Yoruba's are not bustards. We are very smart politically and understand the game well enough. We won't throw away what we currently have for the rubbish that PDP is offering.

Lolzzzz

Typical afonja has spoken

Bolustical:
Sebi the Yorubas got Presidency, Speakership from the same party and in fact occupies the current VP seat. No problem.

The Chairmanship position should be left for the perennial political servants who served Shagari, OBJ, Yaradua, GEJ and are currently asslicking Atiku now.

The SW does not need the chairmanship position. That position is meant for the Ekwuemes, Nwodos and Ogbulafors,

Everything have its time and season.Relax!

PDP wants to feel relevant and milk Atikuchukwu dry, nothing more.

Trust SE politicians are already calculating the money they'll make from Atiku's campaign in 2019.
They don't care about Kanu or their Ikemba's Legacy or the innocent Ipob members killed. All they want is Atiku's money and even more money from Nigeria.

Duru1:


I am for disintegration of Nigeria so that nation states should emerge based on cultural affinity. Pretense is not a stock in my trade. It is foolish for you and ilk to talk about unity in the zoo called Nigeria yet embrace tribal tendencies at any slightest opportunity.

Mr hypocrite, stop contradicting yourself. If you are only interested in the disintegration of Nigeria, you shouldn't bother talking about tribal tendencies in Nigeria's democracy. PDP and APC are political parties in Nigeria, leave Nigerians to talk about them and face your quest for disintegration.

seunmsg:


All your post on Nairaland is fueled by tribal tendencies and your penchant hatred for the Yoruba race. You are the last person that should complain about tribalism.

This is a technical knockout punch to the old man Dede

Duru1:
Nigerians have no business in democracy. Everything in Nigeria is sectional fueled by tribal tendencies.

Dendemorron how far. Been a while

;D5

ruggedised:
common pdp chairman, na him afonja de cry for.....
igbos do not hold any strong post in apc heaven no fall and when they complained, you double claw faces were calling them cry cry babies

Ogbeni be careful tonite