The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has on Wednesday decided against zoning of the presidential ticket in the upcoming primaries regardless of its constitution saying otherwise.
Driving the news
The PDP’s spokesman Debo Ologunagba made the announcement after the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) sided with the recommendation of a 37-member member headed by Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, set up in March 2022 to develop a zoning formula.
- Nigeria’s opposition party would also consider a consensus mode of primaries where possible.
- PDP crowned former Senate President, David Mark, as chairman of the planning committee of its national convention, coming up at the end of the month wherein the party’s delegate would vote for the presidential flag bearer.
- Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa was also handed the position of the deputy chairman of the planning committee.
Why it matters
The issue of zoning the presidential ticket to a region in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue in the camp of the PDP, as all the presidential aspirants have challenged for the right of the presidential seat to be zoned to their region.
- Two sides of a zoning group have been formed in that regard, a pro-zoning group, a group of southern politicians who believe it is time for the south to rule again following the last 8-year tenure of a northern leader and the late Musa Yar’ Adua as PDP’s last president. The other group is an anti-zoning group, made up mostly of northern politicians, who believe they have a great chance of winning PDP’s primaries and ultimately ruling the country.
- With the party dropping the zoning policy, all presidential aspirants will contest to become the party’s presidential flag bearer on equal grounds.