The meeting of the Zoning Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for national offices of the party ahead of the October 30-31 National Convention ended in Enugu on Thursday without any decision taken on the contentious issue of zoning of the positions of president and vice president. The committee, therefore, adjourned the meeting till next week for the conclusion of their work.
Addressing newsmen after the closed-door meeting held at the Government House, Enugu, the Chairman of the Committee and Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, said that “we had a fruitful meeting and we adjourned to conclude next week”.
Earlier in his welcome address, Governor Ugwuanyi clarified that the committee had no mandate to zone political offices such as President or Vice President of Nigeria.
The governor explained that “our Committee is strictly limited to the PDP National Executive Offices to be contested at the 2021 PDP National Convention scheduled for the end of October 2021”, stressing: “We have no mandate to zone political offices such as President or Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
Governor Ugwuanyi maintained that the PDP remained the most credible platform to deliver good and accountable governance to Nigeria, adding that the work of the committee would contribute immensely “in this deliberate search for National Officers of our Party that will help PDP achieve the lofty ideals and goals of our founding fathers”.
He, therefore, encouraged members of the committee to be frank, open and constructive in their proposals and debates, and also exhibit consistency with the enormity of their mandate.
“The membership and leadership of this committee have been carefully selected as it is composed of very experienced, competent and eminent Nigerians who are desirous of repositioning the PDP to play its role not just as the main opposition political party in Nigeria but to build a party that offers alternative policy proposals and hope to Nigerians that there is still light at the end of the tunnel”, Ugwuanyi said.
Members of the committee present at the meeting included the Governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom who is the Deputy Chairman, the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Barr. Mahdi Aliyu Mohammed, who serves as Secretary, former Presidents of the Senate, Senator Iyorchia Ayu and Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, and former Governors of Niger, Ekiti, Sokoto, Jigawa and Adamawa states, Dr Muazu Aliyu Babangida, Ayodele Fayose, Attahiru Bafarawa, Sule Lamido, and Boni Haruna, respectively.
They also included Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, Rt. Hon. Sunday K. E Okoye, Chief Dan Orbih, Chief (Dr.) Ali Odefa, Amb. Mrs. Dr. Kema Chikwe, Chief Osita Chidoka, Barr. Chidi Lloyd, Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw, Senator Emmanuel Nwaka, Engr. Donatus Udeh, among others.