We have no mandate to zone President, VP positions – PDP committee

The Zoning Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party for national offices of the party says it has no mandate to determine which sections of the country should produce its presidential candidate and the running mate.

This was made known on Thursday in Enugu before members of the committee adjourned their meeting till next week for conclusion of their work.

Chairman of the committee and Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, in his welcome address, said the committee had no mandate to zone political offices such as President or Vice President of Nigeria.

The governor said, “Our committee is strictly limited to the PDP National Executive Offices to be contested at the 2021 PDP National Convention scheduled for the end of October, 2021”, stressing, “We have no mandate to zone political offices such as President or Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Ugwuanyi maintained that the PDP remains the most credible platform to deliver good and accountable governance to Nigeria, adding that the work of the committee will contribute immensely “in this deliberate search for national officers of our party that will help PDP achieve the lofty ideals and goals of our founding fathers.”

He also said after the meeting had adjourned, “We had a fruitful meeting and we adjourned to conclude next week.”

The party has fived October 30-31 for its national convention.

Members of the committee present at the meeting are the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, who is the Deputy Chairman; the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Mahdi Aliyu Mohammed, who serves as Secretary; former presidents of the Senate, Senator Iyorchia Ayu and Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, and former governors of Niger, Ekiti, Sokoto, Jigawa and Adamawa states, Dr Muazu Aliyu Babangida, Ayodele Fayose, Attahiru Bafarawa, Sule Lamido, and Boni Haruna, respectively.

Others were Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, SAN, Rt. Hon. Sunday K. E Okoye, Chief Dan Orbih, Chief (Dr) Ali Odefa, Dr Kema Chikwe, Chief Osita Chidoka, Chidi Lloyd, Senator Bassey Ewa Henshaw, Senator Emmanuel Nwaka, Engr. Donatus Udeh, among others.