PDP NEC approves zoning as Atiku kicks, says president can come from any region

By Yusuf Bello/ The national executive committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday approved the zoning of the national chairmanship position to the north, even as former vice president Atiku Abubakar kicked against the move which implies that the next presidential candidate of the party will come from the south.

Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesperson of the PDP, who made the disclosure while briefing journalists after a closed-door meeting of the NEC in Abuja, the north and the south would also swap current party positions accordingly.

“The 94th NEC of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held today and well considered the report of governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on zoning and NEC approves the zoning as presented, which as you understand, the positions that are in the south, will go to the north and the positions that are in the north will go to the south,” he said.

Ologbondiyan who added that the party is yet to take a decision on the zoning of the presidential ticket, explained that the NEC may schedule another meeting to discuss the report of the Bala Mohammed committee on the party’s performance in the past presidential election.

He further stated that the national convention of the party slated for October 30 and 31 will hold as scheduled.

Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar, former presidential candidate of the main opposition party in the last election had earlier at the meeting kicked against zoning, stating that Nigeria’s president can come from any part of the country.

According to Atiku, the geopolitical zone of the president is not the solution to the problems of the country.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the right to determine its rules and how the party should be governed. The people of Nigeria also have the rights to determine who governors them,” he said.

“Where the president comes from has never been the problem of Nigeria. I can cite examples — neither will it be the solution.

“There is no such thing as a president from southern Nigeria or a president from northern Nigeria. There is only one — a president from Nigeria, for Nigeria and by Nigerians.

“Talking about inclusion, I will like to see a new national working committee of our party that has sizeable numbers of youths and women.

“The decision of NEC today will either see us PDP in the villa in 2023 or not. Since the inception, this party has faced serious challenges and has risen above sentiment to solve those challenges and move forward.”