2023: Prominent PDP chieftain quits presidential race

<p><em><strong>2023&colon; Prominent PDP chieftain quits presidential race<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&nbsp&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;Openlife&period;ng">Dr Doyin Okupe<&sol;a>&comma; a former presidential spokesman and chieftain of the <a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;Openlife&period;ng">Peoples Democratic Party &lpar;PDP&rpar;<&sol;a>&comma; has reportedly withdrawn from the 2023 presidential race&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Okupe was one of the aspirants who had earlier indicated an interest in the presidency on the platform of the PDP&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Dokupe said all southern presidential aspirants in the PDP should step down for Peter Obi&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em>Daily Trust<&sol;em> reported that the PDP chieftain&comma; however&comma; announced his decision to quit at the Nigerian Union of Journalists &lpar;NUJ&rpar;&comma; Iwe Iroyin&comma; Abeokuta&comma; Ogun state on Wednesday&comma; March 30&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Okupe said he and his supporters would be supporting the candidacy of former Anambra state governor&comma; Peter Obi&comma; to fly the PDP ticket in next year’s election&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He also asked all other aspirants from the south&semi; Chief Dele Momodu&comma; Senator Pius Anyim&comma; and Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike&comma; to declare their support for Obi’s candidacy&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Okupe berated the national leadership of PDP over the yet-to-be resolved zoning of the presidency&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<h1><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;bandits-invade-abuja-conduct-house-to-house-raid&sol;"><span style&equals;"color&colon; &num;ff0000&semi;">Bandits Invade Abuja&comma; Conduct House-To-House Raid<&sol;span><&sol;a><&sol;h1>&NewLine;<p>The PDP chieftain said he aligned himself with Afenifere&comma; the Yoruba socio-cultural group&comma; and took the decision to withdraw in the interest of equity and justice&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>His words&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong> &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;In aligning myself with the wish of our elders and in the interest of equity and justice&comma; I publicly admit that the 2023 political race must be conceded to the South-East&semi; that is&comma; the Igbos&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I therefore&comma; here and now proclaim that I am&comma; as I have said publicly several times&comma; withdrawing from the presidential race and I am declaring my support for the best aspirant not only in Igboland&comma; but in Nigeria as a whole&period;<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong> &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;I and my supporters within and outside the PDP are teaming up with His Excellency&comma; Peter Obi&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;At the same time&comma; I want to enjoin all other aspirants from the South&semi; Chief Dele Momodu&comma; Senator Anyim&comma; and His Excellency&comma; Governor Nyesom Wike to come with me and let us team up with Peter Obi&period; So we can give the South the best possible chance&period;&&num;8221&semi; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;