Nigeria’s former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Elder Godsday Orubebe, has resigned from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
His resignation follows the emergence of Delta Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate to the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
In a letter dated June 20, Orubebe, a native of Burutu in Delta State, hinged his resignation on the PDP primaries and the party’s failure to zone the 2023 presidency to the South.
The former Minister, in the letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, posited that recent events within the party showed that PDP was not ready to regain power by 2023.
“I write to formally inform you of my resignation from the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP). This, I have communicated to the Chairman of Burutu Ward 3, Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State, effective 20th June 2022.
“Consequently, I am by this letter intimating you of my total withdrawal from all activities at the Ward, Local, State and National levels of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP).
“I am highly honoured and privileged to have been part of a political party that successfully transformed a pariah nation to one that commanded respect in the comity of nations.
“However, the present situation in the party does not inspire confidence that the party is ready to regain power in 2023.
“Against the mood of the nation and in complete disregard to the provisions of the party’s constitution, the party threw the zoning of the presidency open, which created a situation that led to the emergence of a Northerner as the party’s Presidential flagbearer, thus making the two topmost positions in the party, after your emergence as the National Chairman, to be occupied by Northerners, contrary to section 7.3(c) of the party’s constitution,” the letter reads.