PDP BoT member, Professor Alphonsus Nwosu, has resigned his membership of the party, citing the party’s refusal to stick to the zoning formula.
By Emma Ogbuehi
Erstwhile health minister in the former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration and member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Board of Trustees, Professor Alphonsus Nwosu, has resigned his membership of the party, citing the party’s refusal to stick to the zoning formula.
Professor Nwosu, who did not mention the party he is joining next, said his resignation was a matter of conscience and principle. Nwosu, a foundation member of the PDP had been among the stabilising voices in the party at its challenging times.
His resignation from the PDP comes few days after his former principal, Obasanjo, wrote a widely circulated letter, endorsing the candidacy of the Labour Party (LP) presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi.
According to the letter announcing his resignation, Nwosu said he took the action was because of the party’s inability to respect its own constitution on power rotation between the North and South.
Nwosu communicated his resignation to the National Chairman of the party in a letter dated Thursday, January 12, 2023.
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The letter was also copied to Adolphus Wabara, acting PDP BOT chairman, and the party chairman of PDP, Ward 1, Nnewi.
The letter read: “This resignation for me is a matter of conscience and principle because of the party’s inability to adhere to the rotation provision in its (PDP) Constitution,” he wrote.
“The journey to rotational presidency between the North and South of Nigeria has been a long and arduous one and I have been involved. Nigeria and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) must learn to keep to an agreement reached by a Constituent Assembly (1995); and enshrined in the Party’s (PDP) Constitution (1998).”
Many had expected the PDP to respect its zoning principle in the 2023 elections. The South East which had not had a shot at the presidency on the platform of the party, was expected to pick its presidential ticket at its convention. The exercise was however skewed to favour former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, who emerged the flag bearer.
The PDP has been enmeshed in a serious crisis since the conduct of its presidential primaries in May last year when Atiku won the ticket after the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party jettisoned the zoning formula of the party.
Calls put to Prof Nwosu to confirm the development did not go through as his telephone line remained switched off. Text message forwarded to him was also not responded to by press time.