From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, approved the zoning of the party’s next national chairman to the North.
It, however, deferred decision on the zoning of its presidential ticket. The party’s spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, disclosed this while addressing newsmen on the outcome of the NEC held in Abuja.
Ologbondiyan said the NEC considered and adopted Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi-led Zoning Committee’s report, ahead of the party’s national convention, scheduled for October 30. The committee had recommended that the current elective National Working Committee (NWC) positions in the party should be swapped between the north and the south. Ologbondiyan, however, clarified that what was approved was not about the executive and legislative positions in the 2023 general elections, but the elective NWC positions for the forthcoming convention.
Asked if the date for the national convention was still sacrosanct, Ologbondiyan said there was no contrary decision regarding the date of the convention during the meeting.
“So far, nothing has been said to alter the date of the convention, which is Oct. 30, ” Ologbondiyan said.
On when the aspirants would start obtaining forms, Ologbondiyan said what was adopted was the recommendation of zoning between the north and the south. He said what was expected was for the regions to go and micro-zone the positions to the geopolitical zones, after which aspirants can start obtaining forms.
Ologbondiyan, however, said that the report of Gov. Bala Mohammed committee on PDP performance in the last general elections would be considered in another meeting of the NEC.
PDP acting national chairman, Yemi Akinwonmi, in his opening remarks, charged party leaders to bury their differences in the interest of the party.
He said Nigerians were waiting for the opposition party to rescue the country from the problems created by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Meanwhile, embattled chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, said he was at the Appeal Court to fight for his fundamental rights and seek redress for wrongs done to him.
Secondus, in a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, alleged there were unrestrained blackmail against him.
“Since the orchestrated plan to hijack the soul of our great party by one of the governors, there has been unrestrained blackmail against the person of Prince Uche Secondus.”
“First was the baseless lies that Prince Secondus as National Chairman was not meeting up with his obligations at his ward level in Rivers State. It was based on such ridiculous lies that they approached the court to get the purported interim order. After the interim order based on such frivolous story, the said governor and his errand boys went ahead to get the court ruling against Prince Secondus.
“For being so treated and victimized without any justification whatsoever after almost four years of selfless service to the party, Prince Secondus is left with no option but to fight for his fundamental rights by approaching the court to seek redress and correct the blackmail and concoctions.”