Following the controversy over the zone to produce presidential candidates in 2023, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said that zoning is not the problem of Nigeria.
He said Nigerians should clamour for the best hands to lead the country. Ortom said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will heed the demand of Nigerians to be led by the best hands.
The governor who spoke at the Makurdi airport on arrival from Abuja, said “I have always said that zoning is good but it is driven by the marginalization of people and also the level of poverty among the people.
“Some people tend to believe that if you zone a position to their place they may have the opportunity of getting their share of the cake. “But beyond that, if you look at America from where we borrowed the presidential system of government, you will recall that they don’t zone. George Bush was President of America, at a point two of his sons were governors. One of his sons became the President of the country.
“So it doesn’t matter. You look for the best hands and that is what we are getting to do. Some of us are also looking at where we will look for somebody who will lead us at the party level and even at the presidential level.’’
“I believe that this is the thinking of all Nigerians arising from the recent challenge that we have from the North and South. Governors in the South and governors in the North gave their divergent views about what should happen next.
“If you listen very well to what Nigerians are saying you will understand me. Nigerians are saying that zoning is not the problem of Nigeria that we should look for the best. We need somebody who can deliver’’