 You're still watching PlusPolitics. Now the People's Democratic Party PDP has stated that he has not zoned its 2023 presidential ticket to any part of the country. The National Publicity Secretary Debo Loganaba made this known in a statement. Now a former member of the People's Democratic Party who defected to the ruling of Progressive Congress in 2021, Femi Fanikaya had on Friday alleged that the PDP already zoned the party's presidential ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abu Bakar. However, reacting to this statement, the PDP said Fanikaya's statement was completely misleading. It urged Nigerians to completely disregard the zoning claims as being peddled. It also cautioned those behind the claims to desist. Joining us to discuss this is Ibrahim Abdelahi, he is the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the People's Democratic Party. Thank you very much, Ibrahim Abdelahi, for joining us. Hello, thank you, good evening. Great, it's good to have you. What exactly, I'll just get back to it, what exactly is the PDP's plan for the presidential ticket as we await campaign seasons around the corner in 2023 is also in view. I ask this because in September of 2021, the governors in the party had met on this same issue of zoning but nothing really came out of it and nothing is yet being decided. So what exactly is the plan? I'm going to give it to you. Mr Abdelahi, can you hear me? It's still plus policies, we apologize for the network on the technical issues that we've been experiencing but we're still being joined by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the People's Democratic Party, Ibrahim Abdelahi. Now Mr Abdelahi, before the line went off, I was asking what the plan of the PDP is in terms of the presidential ticket and the zoning issues because, like I said, in September of 2021, governors of the PDP met on the same issue of zoning but then nothing really has been decided. So I ask again, what is the plan? Well, the PDP, like you would have known, is a political party that is given to rule of law. It is one party that believes in the proper way of doing things. Now, we are careful about the party. We were also geared towards the input in the front, but also that we don't care the water and look for direction of conversation, which is dialogue. We are discussing, we are consulting, we are interfacing with the critical stakeholders of the party and in a way, any zone that takes the ticket eventually, it is good for the PDP. We are just ready and decided to vote the ATC and this is a blood thirsty government out of our place so that the PDP will call and continue redeeming itself and salvaging Nigerians from this hydro-headed group of staff called governments, which have been imposed on it since 2015. Now, there are speculations within the party that the party may throw open its presidential ticket to everyone. In other words, everybody is allowed to throw their hat into the ring. Also, the whole of last year, we also saw some groups, pressure and ethnic groups asking that not just the PDP but including the APC and other political parties should jessison the idea of zoning and allow everyone who is able and capable to run for that office to do so and then the best man wins. The elite of democracy, you have to allow anybody who is prepared and willing, once they are not disenfranchised by law, to throw their waters. Anyone can throw his hat in the ring. And if we zero or narrow it to the north or even to the south in particular, we will be denying democracy. It's what we are trying to do for anyone. But before we get into that level, we are placing a critical stakeholder at dialogue, particularly some of the writers before us are put in the front for that. It is only when we can not reach that point, that we are going to know that we can take the position of people. Because we have a lot to see in concession times that our reconciliation can be less than that there are, but if it doesn't, we have had the choice to throw their hat both in the ring to contest and it is outside, but after the primary, we are going to reach an eligible resolution. Well, I'm curious to know why all of a sudden the PDP, which was very supportive of the zoning formulas, is now saying, well, this is the true spirit of democracy. I'm asking this because there are zones in this country that feel left out, especially the Southeast, we've seen agitations, we've seen moves and talks, not just in the PDP but outside of the PDP for the Souths to be, especially the Southeast, to be given an opportunity at this presidential seat. So where does the PDP come in this issue? Because I understand, I get where you're coming from, that you know everybody has to be given an opportunity and may the best man win, but this is something that the PDP had always thrown its weight behind. Why may I ask, is the PDP going in this direction? What could have informed this new move? I'm sick coming back to my response, the first one I told you. We have learned our lessons. Don't forget PDP has held this country for 16 months and it lost power and it's gallantly to the APC in 2015 to 2022 that we are now and by the grace of God, by 2023, when the ruling party was shown its way out, PDP has learned enough lessons to ensure that those criticisms, those things that Nigerians were not comfortable with, such like imposition, such like impunity in the way things were done in time past. PDP is learning its lessons and I can admit it has learned sufficient lessons to throw back democracy to those people so that they would decide in themselves how these things are going to be done. And one of the few things we have learned going forward is this idea of ensuring that there are primaries whether it be at the world or local government or state or even the national level, is thrown to the people and allowing people who are interested and all of us will see it with the righteousness and I'm satisfied with that. I know that we're having connection issues with you but quickly before I let you go, the PDP again, let me just act like I do not know, isn't it the case that when you zone the party chairmanship to a particular place, it automatically means that another zone is given the ticket to run for the party. Correct me if I'm wrong. The people in the southeast that seem to be feeling left out, is it that they do not have enough structure within the party that can allow the party to give them an opportunity at that seat of the presidency or what exactly is it about the southeast that the PDP is not looking in that direction. Don't forget, I also spoke with someone from the APC who said that they might just be looking at the south and this is what many people are talking about, zoning to the south. Might the PDP be losing out again in 2023 if they're not necessarily feeling the pulse of the people? See, that's the form of a conversation where the future is capable of working with the APC and the minority of the candidate if it's not the magic. That's what it sounds like you are talking about. It's a political conversation. Apologies, Mr. Abdelahi. Unfortunately, the network connection is terrible and we could not hear you but we're hoping that we can have you back at another time to have this conversation. Ibrahim Abdelahi is the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the People's Democratic Party. And that's it on PLOS Politics. Thank you all for being part of the conversation. I am Mary Annakul and we'll see you tomorrow as we talk about the polity of the nation. Have a good evening.