Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is too old to contest the 2023 presidential election on Peoples Democratic Party’s platform, says PDP chieftain Kassim Afegbua.

“Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar cannot assume the role of a perpetual candidate or professional aspirant year in, year out, of the party as though the party was established for him alone,” said Mr Afegbua in a statement on Sunday.

He added, “It defeats all sense of logic for such an old man to attempt another round of political contestation at a time the general feeling and mood in the country supports a younger Nigerian from the Southern extraction of the country.”

The PDP chieftain urged Mr Atiku to quit his quest for the presidency and support a young southern candidate.

Mr Afegbua also stated that the party should support a young southern candidate in the spirit of fairness, equity, and justice.

“The southern geopolitical zones of Nigeria have eminently qualified Nigerians and parade great minds who are competent and ready to take a shot at the number one job,” he reasoned. “Those who are advancing a very nebulous theory of seeing the northern population as a stimulant to win the sympathy of the North against the South are either ignorant of the real demographics or, at best, just playing the ostrich.”

Mr Afegbua insisted that “no one in the North should take away what belongs to the South,” claiming that will hurt “the consciences and feelings of the average southerner.”

“(Atiku) Abubakar and his northern aspirants should support the aspiration of upwardly mobile and younger elements from the South to fly the PDP flag,” said the PDP chieftain. 

He insisted that “anything short of such will be tantamount to standing logic on its head” and a deliberate attempt to “undermine the collective interest and aspirations of the southern aspirants.”

(NAN)