2023: PDP Zoning Committee Submits Report Amid Agitation

Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is still debating on issues of zoning despite the earlier claim to throwing its presidential ticket open.

The party had earlier inaugurated a 37-man zoning committee to deliberate on the right approach to the issues ahead of its primaries, Naija News understands.

After concluding its assignment, the committee Tuesday submitted its report to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

With this, the NWC is expected to soon convene the National Executive Committee (NEC) where the committee report will be debated and an amicable resolution that will dictate the party’s next move will be arrived at.

The party is expected to make known the date for the NEC where the issues will be discussed as soon as possible.

This is as the National Chairman of the Party, Dr Iyorchia Ayu and Deputy Chairman of the committee Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, in their separate remarks, said it is only the NEC that will have the final say on the vexed issue of zoning after debating the outcome of the committee report.

Naija News understands that PDP had believed zoning will affect its bid to reclaim power come 2023, hence the idea of allowing all those interested in the ticket from any part of the country to battle it out.

Sources close to the committee had said, the party leadership was more interested in how to win the presidential election than zoning of the presidency which might jeopardize their effort at clinching the presidency.

Meanwhile, Governors of the party from the South had after their meeting last Friday insisted that the presidential ticket of the party must be zoned to their region.

But speaking just before presenting the report to the chairman of the party, Elumelu said members of the committee had ample opportunity to make their submissions and that the decision reached was unanimous to promote the interests of the party.

On his part, Dr Iyorchia Ayu also said the recommendations would be transmitted to the NEC, which will discuss them and make a final decision.

According to him, the decision will be made known to “party members across the country and all Nigerians who are eagerly awaiting the final decision of your committee.”