By our Correspondent
AS the political climate is turbocharged ahead of 2023, pan Igbo group, Odinma Ebonyi Foundation, (ODEF) yesterday expressed dissatisfaction with the resurrection of zoning arrangement which the body described as anti-democratic and expired idea.
The group, according to its Executive Director, Collins Azu decried the zoning mentality, midwived by equity concept that have dominated political discussion in Ebonyi State by some members of the All Progressives Congress, APC and the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
The group disagreed vehemently with equity and zoning theory as a compass to the 2023 general elections.
They believed, for Ebonyi State, to move forward, the move for equity, zoning as against capacity, competence and credibility should, not only be thrashed, but buried and never resurrected in any political discussion in Ebonyi State, nay Nigeria.
Executive Director of the group, Collins Azu who in a statement made available to our Editorial desk berated zoning and equity proponents, emphasised the need for various political gladiators to rise to the onerous tasks of nation building by thrashing the idea of imposition of mediocre—incompetent, abrasive, haughty and sellouts—an unfortunate trappings that come with zoning as a way selecting political parties’ candidates in the electoral process.
According to Azu, “pushing the zoning idea is tantamount to truncating the lofty dreams of our founding fathers aimed at building egalitarian society where love and justice took precedence over other ideals.
The Hellens, ancient Greece postulated, where democracy was first practiced, Azu recalled, preferred capacity, ideological understanding of realities in the context of governance as critical requirements for selecting candidates and not zoning.
For Ebonyi State to move forward, ODEF Executive Director said various actors must urgently close ranks, quash equity, zoning and opt for a system with broad-minded hearts to consolidate democracy and deliver its dividends to the people.
The group vowed to resist every attempt by All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to field candidates on the grounds of zoning and equity.
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