By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Supporters of former Governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, on Saturday trooped out across the 36 states of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, for their million-man solidarity march for the frontline Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant.

The teeming supporters, mainly youths, pleaded with PDP to rescind its decision to throw open the ticket for the 2023 presidential candidate of the party, saying that the ticket should be given to Obi, whom they described as the country’s only hope.

They described the idea of throwing the ticket open as an affront on the South, especially the South-East zone.

In Obi’s home state, it was a case of charity beginning at home. The youths adorning white T-shirts and jeans trousers converged on Ekwueme Square in Awka, the state capital. From there they moved through streets of Awka to the PDP State Secretariat at Udoka Housing Estate, dancing and sharing flyers with “Obi for President 2023” inscriptions.

At the PDP Secretariat, the state Coordinator for Peter Obi Support Network (POSN) and Coordinating Chairman of all support groups for Obi, Mr Ikechukwu Anonye, presented a position paper to the leaders of the party in the state.

Anonye, who spoke to journalists, said the position paper is addressed to the National Chairman of PDP, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, adding: “We hope that it gets to him”.

“Today’s solidarity walk is to let the PDP know that we are aware of the schemings going on in the party and that we know that we know that the PDP has a constitution that supports rotation of the presidency between the North and the South.

“Now that it is the turn of the South, and precisely the South east, and we are hearing that a committee has met and thrown it open for everybody. We consider it a level of injustice on the South East.

“We want to register our support for him and this unjust moves will not be accepted. We want them to revert to the South east or the South in general and we know that they can rescind their decision. Every other zone has had a shot at the presidency except the South east. If they do not do the right thing, I think PDP should forget it.

“Peter Obi is acceptable and is the only hope of the PDP. If he is this accepted and they decide to disefranchise him, then it spells doom for the party and they should just go home in 2023,” he stated.