Ahead of the 2023 general elections, indications have emerged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has finally decided to allow all those that purchased its presidential forms to contest the primaries.
This was as the 37-member zoning committee of the party rose from its final meeting in Abuja on Tuesday with the declaration that its resolution will be sent to the National Working Committee (NEC) of the party.
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Daily Trust had exclusively reported on Friday that the zoning committee would throw the race open.
The chairman of the committee and Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, disclosed that the committee has adopted a unanimous decision that will be sent to the NEC of the party. The committee was constituted last month to resolve the zoning impasse in the party.
“The good news for our teeming supporters of the PDP and Nigerians is that we have resolved and every one of us, the 37 members, unanimously adopted the position that we are going to present to NEC,” he said.
All effort to get the resolution of the committee from the chairman, Ortom, or know when their report would be submitted to NEC was not successful.
It was however gathered that owning to the contending forces in the party, the committee had decided to advise the NEC to allow all the aspirants to battle for the ticket of the party.
The thinking of many members of the committee, Daily Trust understands was that it would be unfair and an injustice for some of the presidential aspirants to stop their ambition halfway, after purchasing the nomination and expression of interest forms to contest the presidency.
Already, 13 presidential aspirants have purchased the forms.
Even the body language of some of the committee members, who are supporters of some presidential aspirants, showed that they were happy that their preferred aspirants have not been denied the opportunity to contest for the ticket.
However, Daily Trust gathered from a reliable source that the committee affirmed that even though zoning is part of the party constitution, the committee has decided to throw open the presidential contest this time due to exigency of the time and the fact that it is in the opposition.
Among those present at the meeting were governors Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and ex-governors Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna), Boni Haruna (Adamawa), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina) and Sule Lamido (Jigawa).
Others included a former Information minister, Prof. Jerry Gana, erstwhile minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Tanimu Turaki, chairman, PDP Disciplinary Committee, Chief Tom Ikimi and Chief Bode George.
Meanwhile, presidential aspirants of the party have met with Governor Udom Emmanuel in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
They include Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, his Sokoto State counterpart, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a former Senate president, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Alhaji Muhammad Hayatuddeen.
Speaking during the meeting which lasted into Monday night, Governor Udom Emmanuel said he was in support of ‘one Nigeria’ and harped on the need to build a team of patriots that would tackle the nation’s challenges.
