A former federal lawmaker and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dino Melaye, has said that zoning is archaic and undemocratic.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that according to Melaye, any party still opting for zoning is limiting competent aspirants from participating in the 2023 presidential election.
He argued that Nigeria was still “a baby democracy” when the PDP conceptualised zoning.
“After 60 years of Independence, it would be myopic, it would be porous, it would be parochial, it would be archaic, it would be analogue-thinking for us to be talking about zoning,” Melaye said in an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Friday.
“We must graduate from a mediocre society, to a meritorial society where the best foot is being put forward.
“From my own perspective, as a legislator, I actually moved for a bill in the Senate that will abrogate State of Origin. We should actually have a stateless Nigeria.”
He continued: “I’m not one of those advocating for zoning, because most of those proponents of zoning, mostly governors, have they practiced zoning in their respective states? It is hypocritical of them, and they are selfish.
“I am saying the race should be open, for the best to emerge.”
