The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is expected to take a decision on the zoning of its presidential ticket Wednesday, ahead of its 28 May National Convention.
The party’s decision would be made known after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
The NEC is expected to decide on the report submitted by the party’s 37-member zoning committee led by Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom.
That report was submitted three weeks ago.
Aside from the contentious zoning, the NEC of the party will decide on the venue of the party primaries as well as the chairman of the convention committee.
The meeting started Wednesday morning at Wadata House, the headquarters of the PDP.
The Zoning Issue
Zoning has been disputed in the run-up to the 2023 Presidential Election.
The Southern part of Nigeria which is made up of 17 of Nigeria’s 36 states wants the presidency zoned to the region.
They argue that a gentleman’s agreement reached between the country’s political elite guarantees a power shift to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight years come to an end in 2023.
President Buhari is a Northerner who succeeded the former Southern president, Goodluck Jonathan in 2015.
Jonathan came to office in 2010, following the death of the then Northern president, Umaru Musa Yar’dua who succeeded a Southerner, Olusegun Obasanjo.
Some of the presidential candidates, including Peter Obi, have openly voiced their support for zoning.
This has not gone down well with Northern politicians, some of whom supported zoning in the past but are now calling for an open contest.
