'Fayose’s presidency declaration wake up call to North’

Mr Damishi Sango, Chairman, Plateau chapter of the PDP, has said that Ekiti governor Ayo Fayose’s interest in the 2017 presidential contest was a “wake up call” to northern politicians.

“The governor wants political activities to kick off; winning the presidency requires long time planning and the governor appears disappointed with the silence in the PDP camp. That is why he has offered himself for the job,” Sango said on Tuesday in Jos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fayose launched his campaign for the top seat last month, and expressed confidence that he would easily defeat President Muhammadu Buhari or any other candidate the rival APC might field.

His declaration has, however, sparked off many reactions, with officials of the party saying that the PDP had zoned its ticket to the northern part of the country.

Fayose is from the South-West.

But Sango, in an interview with NAN, said that the governor’s declaration was a challenge to politicians in the north.

“Yes, the party has zoned its presidential ticket to the north, but it does not preclude others from indicating interest.

“If politicians in the north are silent and appear not interested, other party members from other parts of the country are free to show their interest and fight for acceptance,” he said.

Sango advised politicians to start preparing for the 2019 general elections “in earnest”, stressing that winning elections required long and proper planning that required massive efforts over a long period of time.

He said that the silence from the northern politicians was sending the wrong signal, and advised people interested in the presidency to declare such ambition to enable party members weigh the available options.

On the Plateau local government elections slated for Feb. 17, 2017, Sango said that the PDP was ready to “contest and win every seat”.

“We are not worried about the power of incumbency; we are conducting primary elections and mobilising our supporters for the great day.

“We have said that we lost the governorship because of an `internal mistake’. We shall not allow that mistake to repeat itself,” he said.