PDP Zones Chairmanship To North, To Throw Presidential Ticket Open To All

However, PDP National Zoning Committee insists that the zoning will not have any effect on the zone that will produce the party’s presidential ticket.

At the end of the deliberations of the Committee held in Abuja on Thursday, it was resolved that all offices held by the South will be swapped with the offices held in the North.

The arrangement has brought jubilation in the South, the section which has been agitating for power shift after eight years of the Northern presidency which ends in  2023.

But a top PDP source who is also a member of the National Executive Committee of the Party told pointblanknews.com that the presidency of the party will be thrown open to all zones.

According to the source, “the decision to zone the chairmanship to the North is for a strategic reason. It is to evoke the party’s policy of inclusiveness. The party belongs to Nigerians irrespective of the zone they come from. The zoning of the chairmanship to the North does not automatically exclude aspirants from the North from the presidential race. “

Also another top party leader who will not want his name mentioned said, there was an existing party position that has thrown the context open to every interested party member.

“The Bala Mohammed committee has since adviced the party that the presidency should be thrown open. That resolution which has been passed months ago is yet to be ratified by the leadership of the party.

“Nobody will be denied the opportunity to contest for the party’s presidential ticket. Today’s report will also be ratified by the NEC before it becomes official. But I can assure you that the committee’s report is for the benefit of all and has not in any way diminished the chances of any zone from vying for the ticket.

“The report is very clear about the position of the party. The report was emphatic on the zoning of the offices of the President,  Vice President and other Executive and Legislative offices of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the decision of the Committee to zone the Party offices does not in any way affect the executive and legislative offices in Nigeria.”

The communique signed by Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Chairman),  Governor Samuel Ortom (Deputy Chairman) and Mahdi Aliyu Mohammed states that; “The National Zoning Committee of the PDP was given the mandate to zone National offices to be contested by all PDP Members of the Party at the PDP National Convention of the Party scheduled for October 30/31 2021 by the National Executive Committee of the Party.

“That the mandate of the  Committee does not include Zoning of the offices of the President,  Vice President and other Executive and Legislative offices of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And the decision of the Committee to zone the Party offices does not in any way affect the executive and legislative offices in Nigeria.

“That zoning of offices on PDP has traditionally been between the North and South of Nigeria.

“The decision of the PDP Zoning Committee is in line with the Constitution of the Party on Zoning and rotation of Party and national offices in the interest of justice, equity and fairness. Consequently, the current  offices being held by officers in the Southern Zones of the country, namely, South West, South East and South South zones , should swap places with the offices currently in the northern zones of Nigeria, namely, North West, North East and North Central zones.

“We want to thank the Party, especially the National Executive Committee that set up this Committee on September 9, 2021 for finding us worthy to serve the Party in the capacity as Zoning Committee members.

“We shall pass on our recommendations to the National Executive Committee of the Party through the National Working Committee of the Party.”

Presently, the PDP national secretary is from North West; National Organising Secretary, South East; national treasurer, North East; National Publicity Secretary- North Central.

Also the National Legal Adviser is presently occupied by the South South, one Deputy National Chairman from North East and South West each, National Women leader-North Women Leader and financial Secretary from the North Central.

Prior to the formal announcement by the committee, governors elected on the platform of the PDP on Wednesday met at Akwa Ibom governor’s residence in Abuja where they voted 9-3 in favour of the north producing the party’s chairmanship.

Three northern governors — Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Adamu Fintiri (Adamawa) and Darius Ishaku (Taraba) — voted for the chairmanship to be zoned to the south.

Only one northern governor, Samuel Ortom (Benue), voted for the chairmanship to be in the north.

Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto state (north) and chairman of the PDP governors forum, did not vote as he presided over the meeting.

The other PDP governors who voted in favour of northern chairmanship are: Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), and Douye Diri (Bayelsa).