Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) committee has proposed that the next national chairman of the major opposition party should come from the North.
The party chairmanship position in the outgoing National Working Committee (NWC) is in the South.
The zoning committee, headed by Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, said yesterday that its proposal is in line with the party’s constitution.
The panel, which arrived at the decision after its second meeting yesterday, will however wait for the ratification of the proposal by the National Executive Committee (NEC).
It is after the ratification that the proposal can be validated to guide the election of party officers at the October 30/31 National Convention in Abuja.
Observers see the proposal as a prelude to the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the South and vice presidential slot to the North.
The communiqué of the Zoning Committee was co-signed by Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom (Deputy Chairman) and Zamfara State Deputy Governor Mahdi Aliyu Mohammed.
Explaining the committee’s decision, Ugwuanyi said: “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”.
He clarified that the zoning proposal did not extend to the zoning of the party’s presidential and vice presidential tickets for the 2023 general elections, which he restated, was outside the mandate of his committee.
“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”.
The governor further stated that his committee took the decision in line with the constitution of the PDP.
He said: “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”.
The governor however said the new zoning arrangement, as announced by his committee is subject to ratification by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
“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”.
Going by the new zoning arrangement, the position of National Secretary, which is currently being held by the North, will now go to the South.
Similarly, the office of the National Legal Adviser will now move from the South to the North, while that of the National Financial Secretary will move from the North to the South.
The position of National Woman Leader will now move from the North to the South, while that of National Organising Secretary will leave the South for the North.
