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ν Makinde-led camp holds make, mar NEC meeting today
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ν Pro-Wike camp kicks
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Anxiety is mounting in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as it finalises preparations for its 102nd National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting billed to hold in Abuja today to decide on the zoning of party offices ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NEC, second highest organ of the party, is expected to consider and adopt the report of its National Zoning Committee as well as receive briefing from its National Convention Planning Committee.
This is as indications emerged that the zoning committee has resolved to retain its existing zoning formula with the national chairman coming from the North.
The National chairmanship of the PDP is currently zoned to the North, and micro-zoned to the North Central, while the national secretary is zoned to the South and micro-zoned to the South East. Other positions zoned to the North are deputy national chairman (North); National Organising Secretary, National Treasurer, National Youth Leader and National Legal Adviser. While the positions zoned to the South include Deputy National chairman (South), Deputy National Secretary, National Publicity Secretary, National Financial Secretary, National Auditor and National Woman leader.
However, party sources told Daily Sun that the position will be swapped among the various geo-political zones. It was gathered that under the proposed arrangement, the South West will produce the national secretary while the South South will produce the deputy national chairman (South) and the South East, deputy national secretary.
A source at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, told Daily Sun that the various camps in the party have been meeting and mobilising their supporters to ensure that voices are not drowned. “Tomorrow’s NEC means a lot to the party and the various interests, as far as the 2027 contest is concerned. Whatever happens will define the outlook of the party in the next general elections.”
In the run-up to today’s meeting, the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) held a crucial meeting at the Wadata Plaza, yesterday afternoon while the National Caucus was billed to meet later at the Bauchi Governors Lodge, in Asokoro, Abuja. The meeting was ongoing at press time.
In attendance are the Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, Deputy National Secretary, Setonji Koshedo and other members of the party organ.
The PDP has been embroiled in crisis since the conclusion of the 2023 general elections. Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike is head of one faction while Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed and his Oyo State counterpart, Seyi Makinde are the arrow heads of the other. They have remained unrelenting in their supremacy battle.
In the tussle over who is the national secretary of the opposition party, the PDP governors supported former national youth leader, Sunday Ude-Okoye, who was nominated by the South East caucus to replace Anyanwu who enjoys Wike’s support.
After the crisis over the national secretary position was resolved with the Governors Forum accepting the return of Anyanwu as national secretary, the PDP
at its 101st NEC last month agreed to hold its National Convention to elect new NWC members, on November 15 and 16, in Ibadan, Oyo State. However, FCT Minister during a media chat earlier in the month, insisted that the failure by the party to recognise the South South zonal congress, which produced Dan Orbih as national vice chairman for the zone, and its continued recognition of Ali Odefa, who was “expelled” by his ward was a threat to the peace of the party.
Also, in a television programme last week, Wike said he was not aware that the PDP had scheduled its national convention for Ibadan, noting that a meeting of the party’s NEC was yet to hold to take a decision to that effect.
However, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in his reaction, said the decision for the Convention was duly approved by the NEC in line with the party’s constitution. According to him, there was evidence that a letter inviting the FCT minister was received by his office.
*N’West battle N’Central for chairmanship
Daily Sun gathered that in anticipation of approval of the Zoning Committee proposal to retaining the existing zoning formula, leaders of the opposition party in the North West and North Central are at loggerheads over which of the zone will produce the national chairman in the forthcoming dispensation.
A member of NEC from the North said it was not in the interest of the party for the North West to produce the depot
“Yes, North Central is pushing for the national championship. But the North Central is insisting on having it. And I think I am one of those who believe that that should be the case. Come to think of it, we can pick our running mate from the North West. That is where the population is. And if you said North West should have the chairman, you are not likely to have the VP again from the North West. That is a logical argument.
“In our situation now, we need where the population is. And you know North West has seven states with a large population.
“The North Central was to hold the National chairman for four years. But Iyorcha Ayu left after one year, North East has been holding the position in the last three years. It will be unfair to take it away from North Central. We won’t allow North West to take it.”
The Northern caucus is expected to meet after the approval of the zonal formula to micro zone positions ceded to the area among the three geo-political zones.
•S’West tipped for national secretary, S’South deputy chairman, S’East deputy national secretary
In the South, it was gathered that leaders are proposing that the position of national secretary, which is currently in the South East, be moved to the South West, while the South South produces the deputy national chairman (South) with South East producing the deputy national secretary. Also, the South South is pencilled to produce the national publicity secretary.
The Southern PDP leaders, last week, held a Consultative meeting with Makinde, Bayelsa Governor, Diri Douye, chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Adolphus Wabara, amongst others, in Lagos, over the sharing of party of offices zoned to the area.
Prior to the meeting, loyalists of the FCT Minister in South, after a meeting in Abuja, kicked against the Lagos parley. The party stakeholders, in a statement by the Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, said they will not accept any decision reached at the meeting.
Consequences, the micro-zoning of the positions ceded to the South is expected to deepen the rift between the Wike camp and the governors
•Political solution for S’East crisis
Meanwhile, the party has resolved to seek a political solution to the conflict in its South East chapter. The party has been polarised in the zone with the Zonal Working Committee (ZWC) led by Odefa recognised by both the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah and another faction led by Chidiebere Egwu, which enjoys the support of the Wike group.
Daily Sun gathered that the decision to explore a political solution is to ensure it does not jeopardise the entire convention, which is critical to the 2027 outing of the opposition party. A member of the Wike camp in the South East confirmed to Daily Sun that the national leadership has reached out to them for a political solution over the Odefa issue.
The proposal is for the structure of the opposition party in Ebonyi State to be ceded to Odefa adversaries while in return, they will withdraw their opposition to the embattled party leader.
Whether there will be resolution of the protracted crisis depends on the outcome of the NEC crucial meeting.
