ABUJA – By Olusegun Lawrence The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has inaugurated a zoning committee, comprising of 88 members.
Inaugurating the committee in Abuja on Friday, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Makarfi, gave the committee a week to turn in its report.
The committee chaired by the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, has a mandate to open the democratic space at its forthcoming national convention.
According to him, there is no anointed candidate for any position and the short term will enable aspirants to know what positions have been zoned to each zone.
‘‘It is senseless for the party to zone both the presidency and chairmanship to the same region.’’
“It doesn’t make sense at all for the chairmanship of the party and the presidency to be zoned to the North.
”In party politics, all sections should have a fair representation; that was why the entire zoning arrangement was jettisoned.
“Open the political landscape so that all the materials that we have from the south will come out so that we get the best from the pack.
“I assure you we are not going to print a single form for any position. We will print forms for all aspirants for any office. It is not an anointment but an election,” Makarfi told the committee.
Governor Umahi, represented by his deputy, Mr Kelechi Igwe, had this to say about the assignment, “the mistake and missteps of those who have found their place in other political platforms made the PDP wobble to failure in 2015 elections.’’
The Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees (BOT), Jibril Walid, in his goodwill message said ”the composition of the committee represented a democratic process.
”It has the job made easier for them by the zoning of two important offices: the presidency to the north and the chairmanship of the party to the south.”
