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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appointed Benue State governor Samuel Ortom as chairman while Ndudi Elumelu, deputy chairman of the party’s zoning committee.
The national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu while inaugurating the committee, Thursday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja said, “This committee on zoning is a committee of NEC and it is a tradition in our Party to discuss every issue including fair distribution of offices.
“Before we came into office all of you our leaders put heads together and ensured that we distributed party offices fairly across the country. We want to thank you for what you did. Our party came out stronger, because you are fair and you did a very transparent job.
“It is our turn now to request you as the National working committee committee acting on behalf of NEC to formally inaugurate this committee made up of the names that have been mentioned.
“You will recall that in the NEC meeting, discussions we had no rancour whatsoever. To the extent that one of our governors stood up and said, sensitive as the issue may be he’s so pleased and so happy that the PDP families discuss the issue without any bitterness. I implore all of you to continue in the same spirit, PDP has a reputation of discussing whatever issues that we have.
“We talk, we don’t fight, we resolve issues. There is no issue that is too difficult or too important for the PDP to resolve that the spirit of the party.
“Therefore I urge all of you to discuss this matter. With the same spirit that you discuss at NEC because most of you are members of NEC, you knew what happened and you are free to advance your arguments. Let us not have any rancour whatsoever and at the end of the day, remain focused on the main goal.
“That the main goal is for us to win power next year. And how do we win power we can only we power by uniting, by working together? Because even if you are from Ebonyi or Anambra and you fight to be the president of our country through the PDP platform, are you pursue it with rancour, even if you win party nomination, other people will not vote for you. They will not be willing to work for you.
“But if you pursue it without bitterness, whoever wins will rally around the person and then the party will win election next year. And there will be something for everybody for every constituency in this country.
“I therefore employ you never to lose sight of the bigger picture of the bigger objective. And that big sight is to Maintain our unity which carried us through the last convention. So that at the end of May, we shall present a PDP presidential candidate Nigerians will be proud of. We will go to elections and win.
“So there should be no rancour whatsoever remain focused on the bigger picture. Because that is what we want. I believe by the time we have the big prize in our hands. We will share it, we will rotate it the way we want. If we had not been interrupted on this journey, about six years ago, we have started the same process.
“At the beginning, we push the presidency to the south. I was one of those who took that decision. And there are many others here in this hall. After general Obasanjo. We voluntarily sent it to Katsina, faith played a fast one on us. But in the same spirit, after Late Umaru Yar’dua Sent it to Bayelsa.
“So PDP has a history of rotating our offices. Anybody who doesn’t get it this time should wait after the tenure whoever will be our next president
We believe PDP is going to produce the next President once we start this journey this time. We will ensure it goes round. And it will go round with justice, fairness and the interests of the Nigeria.”