Controversy looms as PDP governors vote North to produce National Chairman

 

There is a controversy within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, over the zone to pick the party’s next National Chairman.

The PDP Governors Forum had voted for the North to produce the party’s next National Chairman.

The forum led by Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State, voted in favour of the North producing Uche Secondus’ successor.

The governors who voted in favour of the Northern chairmanship are Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), and Douye Diri (Bayelsa).

The meeting resolved to pass the resolution of the governors to the zoning committee of the national convention, currently scheduled to take place on October 30 and 31 in Abuja.

However, the decision of the Tambuwal-led forum was rubbished by Autin Okai, a PDP Youth Frontier.

Speaking with newsmen, Okai maintained that the decision of the governors would not stand.

He stressed that only the committee led by the Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, can decide on the matter of zoning.

According to Okai: “That thing can not stand, the governors’ forum cannot zone. There is a committee headed by the Governor of Enugu State, Ugwuanyi, which has Sule Lamido and other prominent people; that committee has not concluded, so some governors cannot decide where the chairmanship should come from.

“The North is at a disadvantage, and we have more PDP governors in the South. That decision is not standing, so why don’t they allow them to finish their assignment? That decision of the governor is a mere academic exercise. The committee presided by Tambuwal do not represent the interest of the party.

“We are waiting for the committee under the leadership of Ugwuanyi, so, this one perhaps they are trying to test the waters. The committee is not about voting but strategic picking.”

However, efforts to reach the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan failed as he was not picking his calls and did not respond to text messages sent to him.