- PDP Zoning: Peter Obi Was Used As A Tool – Former Aide
- Ex-Obi aide says Obi was only used as a tool for inclusivity.
- Ononuju accuses Atiku of undermining Igbo chances in national politics
Katchy Ononuju, a former aide to former presidential candidate Peter Obi, has claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) only used Obi as a tool to demonstrate its seriousness about inclusivity in Nigeria’s governance.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that speaking during an interview following the PDP’s decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, Ononuju explained that the move was not about Obi personally, but about ensuring regional balance.
“This is not an issue of Peter Obi, it’s about inclusion and governance. Peter Obi was a tool we used to achieve our aim of asserting our seriousness that everybody should be included in the governance of Nigeria,” he said.
During its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held at its National Secretariat in Abuja, the PDP resolved that the presidency would be zoned to the South, while the party’s National Chairman position would remain in the North.
Ononuju praised the party for the decision, likening it to the position once taken by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
“Just like they went to Jonathan and told him to run, he told them, clean up your house. I thank the PDP for finding the courage to do what they have done today,” he added.
The former aide further said that the zoning decision corrected past mistakes tied to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
He accused Atiku of undermining the chances of Igbos in national leadership by pushing compromises that neglected the principle of zoning.
“Now that they have corrected themselves and zoned to the South, they now have to clear the problems that came as a consequence of embracing Atiku’s compromising protocol which forced them to neglect inclusion.
I can tell you that with the action today, PDP is telling Atiku that he is wrong,” Ononuju stated.
He also suggested that Atiku may not have acted alone, alleging that certain groups within the party are opposed to Igbo participation in governance. “Atiku may simply be acting to undermine the chances of Igbos in Nigeria’s governance. But we have started the process of healing, and though I don’t know how far it will go, I know we are on the right path,” he concluded.
