The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will today decide on whether or not its presidential ticket should be zoned, an issue that has remained contentious ahead of the party’s May 28 primaries.
The party through its National Executive Committee (NEC) will today decide on the report submitted by the 37 member zoning committee led by Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom.
The committee had submitted the report three weeks ago.
Besides the zoning issues, the party will also decide on the venue of the party primaries as well as the chairman of the convention committee.
It was learnt that the NEC might uphold the resolution of the Ortom committee to throw the ticket open to all 15 presidential hopefuls.
Recall that the Ortom led committee had insisted that only the NEC would determine whether or not the ticket should be thrown open to all aspirants.
However the Southern and Middle-belt Forum, comprising the Pan Niger-Delta Forum, Afenifere, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Middlebelt Forum, have been kicking against throwing the ticket open, insisting that the party must zone the ticket to the South.
Also the Southern governors which includes PDP governors from the zone have also insisted on power rotation to the South.
Similarly, the presidential aspirants have also been split over the matter. While the South East presidential aspirants have asked for the party to zone to their region, aspirants from other regions have been intensifying their campaign for delegates votes across the country.
However, the national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba, has dismissed the notion that there is anxiety in the party over the zoning issue ahead of today’s meeting.
He said the party has its processes and procedures for addressing its affairs even though it respects the opinions and suggestions of respected non-party members.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, Ologunagba said, “There is no anxiety in PDP over the matter. Some regional bodies have said things. We respect them and we have heard them. We will also discuss the issues as a party. We have processes and procedures on how to resolve our issues as a party. So there is no anxiety whatsoever within the party over the matter. Such a notion does not exist,” he said.
In a related development, the PDP Governors’ Forum will hold an emergency meeting early tomorrow to harmonise their views ahead of the NEC meeting.
The meeting which is billed to hold at the Benue Governors Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja, according to a party source is to “finetune the position of the governors to have a common front going into the NEC meeting.”
