PDP zoning c’ttee submits report amid agitation

• NEC will take final decision – Ayu, Elumelu

• Abia gov wants consensus

Seven days after the conclusion of its assignment, the 37-man zoning committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has submitted its report to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

The NWC is expected to soon convene the National Executive Committee (NEC) where the committee report will be debated and an amicable resolution that will be agreeable to the majority of the party members arrived at.

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However, a date for the NEC where the issues will be discussed has not been made known.

This is as the National Chairman of the Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu and Deputy Chairman of the committee Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, in their separate remarks, said it is only the NEC that will have the final say on the vexed issue of zoning after debating the outcome of the committee report.

Daily Trust had exclusively reported that the zoning committee had decided to jettison the idea of zoning the presidential ticket of the party for the 2023 elections and resolved to allow all those interested in the ticket from any part of the country to battle it out.

Sources close to the committee had said, the party leadership was more interested in how to win the presidential election than zoning of the presidency which might jeopardize their effort at clinching the presidency.

Governors of the party from the South rose from their meeting on Friday night insisting that the presidential ticket of the party must be zoned to the South.

But speaking just before presenting the report to the chairman of the party, Elumelu said members of the committee had ample opportunity to make their submissions and that the decision reached was unanimous to promote the interests of the party.

  On his part, Dr Iyorchia Ayu also said the recommendations would be transmitted to the NEC, which will discuss them and take a final decision.

According to him, the decision will be made known to “party members across the country and all Nigerians who are eagerly awaiting the final decision of your committee.”

Abia gov wants consensus

Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has advocated for the emergence of a Nigerian president who would serve the interest of the masses.

Ikpeazu also urged all aspirants on the platform of the PDP to come together and forge a common front irrespective of personal interests and present a consensus presidential candidate ahead of the forthcoming elections.

 Speaking at his country home, in Umuobiakwa Obingwa LGA, when he received a delegation of some governors and leaders of the PDP in continuation of their dialogue towards the presidential ticket of the party, Ikpeazu commended them for coming together to forge a common front.

“This initiative which you are leading is altruistic and it is done out of the desire to forge an alliance that can rescue this country beyond our respective selfish interests and I want to say that you have my commitment and cooperation as we move on and do our little bit to ensure that all of us come together,” he said.

Earlier, a former Senate president and PDP presidential aspirant, Bukola Saraki, said they were already working towards coming up with a consensus presidential candidate for the party that has the capacity to address the prevailing insecurity and hardship faced by Nigerians under the present APC administration.