From Adetutu Folasade-Koyi, Abuja
Before the deal that saw the national convention shifted from December to October, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had extracted a commitment from stakeholders that there would be no litigation on the matter.
Besides, Daily Sun gathered that by Tuesday morning, the Board of Trustees (BoT), the Concerned Elders Forum, the party’s governors had specifically “prevailed on the NWC to accept measures to reposition and stabilise the party. While some governors wanted the NWC sacked, others argued that the national convention should be pushed forward where a new NWC would be elected.
“With that agreement, it was easier to accept that the National Executive Committee meet next week.
It was learnt that the PDP zoning committee may recommend that the party retain the national chairmanship position in the South. Meetings continued on the zoning matter last night, in Abuja.
Regardless, politics of 2023 is a major influence on which zone produces the next national chairman. Party stakeholders are looking towards the South because of the consideration that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may zone its national chairman position to the North.
“Issues that have arisen from the last meeting is that of which zone to produce the national chairman. The North is not disposed to producing the PDP national chairman. They want the extant zoning arrangement retained.
“The permutation is that the APC is leaning towards the North for its next national chairman. So, the stakeholders want the PDP to retain its national chairmanship position in the South.
“With what has happened and with the South South having produced the national chairman, all eyes are looking towards the South West. South West is pushing hard and they believe the time is now.”
On Tuesday, at an expanded meeting of PDP stakeholders, in Abuja, which included the party’s governors, it was resolved that the tenure of the Prince Uche Secondus-led NWC would end in October with the convening of a national convention to elect a new NWC.
The party also agreed to convene its National Executive Committee (NEC) next week.
At the NEC meeting, a Convention Planning Committee would be constituted while the National Zoning Committee, which would recommend zones to take elective offices in 2023, including the national chairmanship positions, the president and vice president would also be constituted.