The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the zoning of its chairmanship position to the North is now sacrosanct as it has been ratified by its National Executive Committee (NEC).
The Chairman of the PDP National Convention Organizing Committee, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, stated this yesterday in Abuja, while briefing journalists on the outcome of a meeting with the electoral sub-committee.
Fintiri, who is also the governor of Adamawa State, also said that there is no going back on the October 30-31 date for the party’s national convention.
He explained that the sale of nomination forms for the convention would commence tomorrow while the screening of aspirants and appeals from the exercise are expected to be concluded this week.
His words: “The highest decision organ of the party has taken decision (on zoning), which is the NEC. And I think that decision is final. It is binding on all of us members. And we will abide by it. And that is what we are working on.
“The date of the convention still remains, which is the 30th and 31st of October. The venue has been scheduled. That is the Eagle Square. And our delegates across the country are being sensitized. The zoning committee has completed their job. We have revised our timetable. And we will start selling of forms.
“The screening and appeal are expected to end on or before next week, by the revised timetable. They will be free to start campaigning across the country.”
The governor while responding to a question on the possibility of a consensus chairmanship candidate said: “I think it is too early for us to discus consensus at this stage, because this is a democratic party. It is open for contest and if the issue of consensus so arises; also it is captured in our constitution.”
Nevertheless, the Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed has said that the party should choose its next chairman through a consensus.
Mohammed stated this while speaking with journalists at the PDP National Secretariat, in Abuja, yesterday.
He, however, stated that in the event that the option of consensus is not feasible, nobody would be imposed on the party.
The Bauchi state governor noted that all the issues regarding the zoning of the PDP chairmanship to the North has been resolved, adding that the zoning was looking forward to giving the opposition party a chairman that would lead it to victory in the 2023 polls.
“Consensus is normally a process of democratic consultation because democracy is about consensus. Certainly, electoral process can be reduced by having a converging point on an individual and that would have reduced the disparaging issues within the party.
“I did say we should have a consensus candidate, but where we will not, we will not practice imposition,” he said.
