• As zoning committee submits report
From Taiwo Amodu, Abuja
Respite came for the troubled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accorded recognition to the Senator Ahmed Makarfi led caretaker committee as the legitimate national leadership of the party.
INEC, in a statement, premised its position on the judgment of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt which accorded legitimacy to the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP.
In the statement signed by its Director, Commission’s Secretariat, Ishiaku A. Gali, INEC further declared that it would recognise the activities of the committee led by the former Kaduna state governor in “conduct of primaries of political officers and the submission of the plaintiff’s list of the candidate for any election to be conducted by the commission.”
With this development, chairman of the dissolved national working committee of the party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff may have finally lost out in the leadership tussle.
Also yesterday, the zoning committee put in place by the Senator Makarfi committee unveiled its zoning arrangement ahead of the party national convention slated for next month.
Presenting its report, Ebonyi State governor and chairman of the zoning committee, Dave Umahi disclosed that his team resolved that “the chairmanship of the party be zoned to the southern zones bearing in mind that the presidential ticket of the party for 2019 was zoned to the northern zones as approved by the National Convention in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Saturday, May 21, 2016.”
Daily Sun further gathered that the committee adopted a zoning pattern which switched earlier positions from North to South.
The only innovation was the creations of two offices of deputy national chairmen to be shared by north and south, respectively.
With the development, the positions of National Chairman, Deputy National Chairman ( 1), National Treasurer, National Legal Adviser and National Youth Leader would go to the South. Other positions to be taken by the South include, National Organising Secretary, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Deputy National Women Leader,Deputy National Auditor and Deputy National Financial Secretary.
According to Governor Umahi, the North would conversely take the positions of Deputy National Chairman (2), National Secretary, National Financial Secretary, National Publicity Secretary, National Auditor and National Woman Leader. The entire North would also present candidates for the positions of Deputy National Treasurer, Deputy National Organising Secretary, Deputy National Youth Leader, Deputy National Legal Adviser and Deputy National Secretary.
The zoning committee admonished the Ahmed Makarfi committee to ensure that all positions “be keenly contested for among the major zones in order to open the space and allow for full participation of members.”
Secretary of the caretaker committee, Senator Ben Obi thanked the zoning committee for delivering on the assignment it was saddled with and assured that it will do justice to the report.
“This is a new spirit in PDP. When you say you want to rebrand, your action must speak louder than words.
“You have made sacrifices in the interest of this party. I want to assure you that the Committee will do justice to your report.
“Nobody will get a report from a team like this, and set it aside. You have done a good job.
“Finally, I thank you, members of the PDP family, as we move on with this document, Nigerians should be rest assured that they will be seeing a new PDP in the months ahead.