The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has declared that only zoning will determine the fate of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku is being touted to contest the 2023 general election.

Atiku contested the 2019 presidential election on the platform of the PDP but lost to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari.

A son of the former Vice President, Adamu Atiku, a commissioner for works and energy in Adamawa State, said:“Personally, I don’t see anything wrong with my father contesting for the presidency.”

“In 2023, my father will be aspiring to the number one office in the land because he has been an astute, strategic, master politician for almost four decades,” he added.

Adamu made the statement while presenting the score card of his ministry on Monday as the administration of Governor Ahmadu Finitiri clocked one year in office.

While addressing a press conference on Monday in Abuja, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said: “The PDP has not come to discussion in respect of zoning. I want to leave it at that.”

‘PDP will welcome Obaseki’

In a related development, the PDP said Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and other aggrieved chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are at liberty to join the party ahead of the September 19, 2020 governorship election in Edo State.

Governor Obaseki and the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole are at daggers-drawn, leading to intense crisis in the Edo State chapter of the APC.

The PDP’s spokesman dispelled claims that the PDP gave Obaseki stringent conditions for joining and securing the party’s ticket, including asking for huge sums of money ahead of the polls.

He said the party would adopt direct primary to nominate its candidate for the election.

“Under the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus as the national chairman of the PDP, we do not negotiate slots.

“We don’t sell slots.

“It is clear, you can find out.

“It is strange and totally misplaced for anybody to make such allegation.

“I never sat in any meeting where such discussions allegedly took place.

“The allegation is totally unfounded and it is unacceptable to us as a party.

“I am aware that the PDP has aspirants in Edo and Ondo states.

“Prior to the situation in Edo, our party was open and any Nigerian who is ready to contest a clean, clear, free, fair and democratic primaries is at liberty to join the party,” he said. (Text, excluding headline, courtesy Daily Trust)