2019: PDP to pick presidential candidate from North

…National Chair to revert to South

The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), has finally resolved to pick its presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential election from the North.

This was confirmed on Monday by the National Chairman of the Party, Senator Alli Modu Sheriff in Abuja during a meeting of the members of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT.

Towards this end, the BoT members have resolved to ask the party’s forthcoming national convention to ratify the motion to zone the presidential ticket to the north. They however stated that when that happens, the PDP National Chairmanship will automatically revert to the South in accordance with PDP zoning principle and tradition.

Senator Sheriff told the BoT members that a motion to that effect will be formally moved at the forthcoming national convention of the PDP billed for Port Harcourt.

The decision, the Chairman pointed out, was in line with the Senator Ike Ekweremadu’s committee report.

He equally used the opportunity to apologise to the former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana over the comments made against him last week by his (Sheriff’s) aide, stating that he did not instruct anybody to insult the former minister.

Chief Maduekwe, new Secretary of the BoT who read the communiqué at the end of the meeting, ‎said it was not easy for the board to arrive at its resolution.

According to him, “Three decisions were agreed upon today. One is that in spite of the well-articulated proposals of many highly respected leaders and members that the convention should not go ahead as planned in order allow more time to resolve our differences, the consensus opinion, because we do not vote in the BoT because a divided BoT becomes a divided conscience.

“By consensus, we decided to support the NWC and NEC’ s decisions that convention should hold on May 21.

“Secondly, all the grievances which have been clearly and well-articulated by well-meaning leaders for the purpose of making the party stronger, not grievances pushed merely to smear the party or factionalize the party, will be carefully looked into and in the process of political consideration, and engineering, we will see how to carry everyone along.

“We agreed to suspend amendments to the constitution. We resolved to ask the convention to rectify the motion to zone the presidential ticket to the north. When that happens the chairmanship will automatically revert to the south in accordance with PDP zoning principle and tradition.

“Finally, certain states where there were observed challenges during the congresses, which even the chairman and governors acknowledged, the party will look into what happened in those states and make amends,” the BoT secretary added.

Chief Maduekwe defended the decision of the board, stressing that as conscience of the party, “it will be a national tragedy if we allow PDP to die”.

Among those in attendance at the meeting were: Chief Tom Ikimi, Mrs. Josephine Anenih, Chief Chris Uba, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Senator Ibrahim Mantu, Wilberforce Juta, Architect Ibrahim Bunu, Professor Tunde Adeniran, Senator Stella Omu, Ambassador Esther Audu, Chief Ojo Maduekwe, Alhaji Abdulkadir Kure, Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri and the former PDP Chairman Chief Vincent Ogbulafor.

Others were: Prof Jerry Gana, Chief Mike Oghiadome, Barrister Tanimu Kabiru Turaki, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, Inna Ciroma, Rex Onyeboh, Remi Kuku, Alhaji Bello, Hon Margaret, Senator Jonah Jang, Professor Stella Atu, Baba Shetima, Hon Patience Ogodo, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze and, Senator Ahmadu Ali.