The Peoples Democratic Party will today (Monday) receive the report of its zoning committee at the 102nd National Executive Committee meeting, amid deepening tensions over its planned national convention.
The zoning committee, constituted in July to share the 19 National Working Committee offices between the North and South, is chaired by Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, with Zamfara Governor, Dauda Lawal, as vice chairman and Plateau Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, as secretary.
The committee had recommended the retention of the existing zoning formula, under which the North and South will continue to hold their current positions.
The NEC is expected to ratify the report at its 2pm session today.
A PDP NWC said, “From the report we have seen, the zoning committee upheld the current zoning formula. The South has already micro-zoned its offices to the geopolitical zones, while the North will finalise its own arrangements after the NEC.”
At the PDP South stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos last Thursday, southern leaders allocated the Deputy National Chairman and National Publicity Secretary to the South-South, the National Secretary and National Auditor to the South-West, and the Deputy National Secretary and Financial Secretary to the South-East.
The National Secretary was micro-zoned to Oyo, due to Governor Seyi Makinde’s influence, while Akwa Ibom got the Publicity Secretary slot.
The tenure of the acting NWC led by Ambassador Umar Damagum will lapse in December.
To forestall further crisis, the party’s 101st NEC had in July approved November 15–16 as the date for the National Elective Convention, to be held in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, will chair the National Convention Committee, with Osun Governor, Ademola Adeleke, as vice chairman and Enugu Governor, Peter Mbah, as secretary.
However, the zoning and convention arrangements have not been without controversy. Former Rivers Governor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has warned that ignoring the outcome of the South-South Congress in Calabar could trigger new crises within the party.
“Before you talk about the convention, resolve the matter. If the matter is not resolved, there will be a crisis,” Wike said in a television interview on August 4.
Some southern leaders loyal to Wike, led by House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, also rejected the Lagos micro-zoning meeting.
Despite the disagreement, PDP youth leaders from the 36 states and the FCT on Sunday declared total support for the NEC’s decisions on zoning and the Ibadan convention.
